254 STAPHTLiNiD^. {^Ocypus. 



The larva of Ocypus olens has been described by several authors ; it is 

 large and rapacious, with the head broader than thorax, slightly narrowed 

 before neck ; the mandibles are very large and powerful ; antennae short ; 

 prothorax trapezoidal, somewhat broader at base than long, longer than 

 either the meso- or meta-thorax ; hind body with the second segment 

 the broadest, and from thence gradually narrowed ; the ninth segment is 

 the narrowest, and is furnished with an anal appendage of about twice 

 its length, and two cerci of which the second joint is much shorter than 

 the first ; the legs are rather short ; the colour of the larva is pale 

 yellowish, with the head black or reddish black, the scutum of the pro- 

 thorax castaneous, usually with pale markings, the scuta of the meso- 

 and meta-thorax pale ferruginous, with darker markings, or darker with 

 light markings, and the scuta of the hind body paler with minute dark 

 specks. 



Tlie larva of Creophilus maxillosus is distinguished from that of 

 Ocypus olens by its orbicular head which is not broader than the thorax 

 and is bistriate on the vertex, and by the cerci having the second joint 

 not much shorter than first ; the clypeus also is armed with seven teeth 

 (instead of nine as in the latter species), and the several pairs of legs are 

 more even in length ; the pupa is rather long and has a row of setiform 

 *' styli motorii " on the anterior margin of prothorax, but no others 

 except one at each side of the seventh and eighth abdominal segments: 

 in several of the pupse of the Staphylinina lateral " styli motorii " are 

 present on all the segments of the abdomen, but none are ever present on 

 the disc. 



O. olens, Mill]. {Goerlus olens, Steph.). Very large, broad, and 

 robust, winged, entirely dull black, with dark pubescence, the whole 

 upi«r surface extremely closely, finely, and somewhat rugosely, punc- 

 tured ; head transverse, subrectangular, as broad as, or broader than, thorax ; 

 antennfe moderate, black with apical joints lighter, the penultimate joint 

 much shorter than the preceding, but scarcely transverse, the last joint 

 short, obliquely emarginate ; thorax subquadrate, with sides slightly 

 rounded, almost parallel ; elytra about as long as thorax ; hind body 

 with sides somewhat rounded, a little narrowed towards base. L. 20- 

 28 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body feebly, and the 

 sixth segment very slightly, sinuate on their apical margins. 



Under stones, clods of earth, vegetable refuse, &(3. ; very common and generally 

 distributed throughout the kingdom ; it is one of the beetles that are best known to 

 people who are not entomologists, as it is often seen running on pathways, and some- 

 times even in houses in summer ; when alarmed it opens its jaws and erects its hind 

 body and assumes a menacing attitude, and it has the power of inflicting a somewhat 

 sharp bite with its powerful mandibles : it is popularly known as the " Cock Tail " 

 or " Devil's Coach Horse," the latter name, I believe, having its origin in an old 

 mediaeval legend concerning the insect. 



O. Biznilis, F. {nitens, Schrank, abhreviatipennis, Aube, dccurfatus 



