rili/onthus.] STAPIIYLINID^. 259 



place to another ; the genera Hesperus, Cafius, and Adohlus are now con- 

 sidered distinct, having been separated oil" for several reasons, the chief 

 peiliaps being that they have the longer lateral seta of the thorax distant 

 from the margin, instead of being situated close to or upon it : Dr. Sharp 

 remarks that this character is very important, " because the seta, remain- 

 ing as a fixed point at the outer side of the thorax, serves as a mark to 

 indicate whether the lateral raised margin is deflexed to the underside of 

 the thorax or not." 



The species may be divided into sections according to the number of 

 punctures in the two dorsal series of the thorax, as follows : — 



I. Dorsal series of punctures on thorax wanting, or consisting of one puncture only 



near anterior margin (p. 259), 



II. Dorsal series of thorax each consisting of four punctures (p. 261). 



III. Dorsal series of thorax each consisting of five punctures (p. 269), 



IV. Dorsal series of thorax each consisting of six punctures (p. 276). 



v. Dorsal series of thorax consisting of more than six punctui'es, more or less irregular 

 (p. 280). 



In very many cases one of the punctures is close to the anterior margin, 

 and is situated at some little distance from the rest of the series ; at tirst 

 sight, therefore, the series appear to consist of one puncture less than is 

 really the case ; in fact for convenience sake it is almost better to regard 

 Sections II., III., and IV., as possessing series made up of three, four, and 

 five punctures respectively, these series being usually very plain on the 

 disc of the thorax, and being situated in a straight line, Avhereas the 

 puncture near margin is sometimes a little out of the straight line ; a 

 comparison of one or two specimens will at once remove any difficulty 

 or confusion. 



The species oi Philonfhus are found in dung and all kinds of decaying 

 matter, both animal and vegetable ; one or two occur under bark. 



The larva of Philonthus nitidus is described and figured by Schiodte (I.e. Part ii. 

 p. 109, fig. ix. 6) : the head is subquadrate, broader than prothorax ; the rest of the 

 body, omitting the head, is slightly fusiform, being at its broadest about middle; the 

 prothorax is trapezoidal, narrowed in front, nearly as long as the meso- and meta-thorax 

 together ; the first abdominal segment is very short, the second is the broadest, and 

 from this the segments get gradually narrower ; the ninth bears an anal appendage 

 and two cerci which are rather long, and have the second joint very slender and not 

 much shorter than the first ; the autenme are very short, and the legs are uneven, the 

 first pair being the shortest. The larva is yellowish, with the head and the scuta of 

 the front parts castaneous, and those of the hinder parts lighter, slightly fuscous ; the 

 hirva is usually found in dung. 



The larvffi of Philonthvs ceneus and decorus and others difier very slightly from that 

 of/*, nitidus; the pupse resemble those of Creophilus in having the "styli motorii " 

 setiform, but in the Pliilonthi they are found at the sides of all the abdominal segments 

 as well as on the anterior margin of the thorax. 



Section I. 

 Dorsal rows of punctures on thorax wanting, or represented by one 

 puncture only near anterior margin. 



I. Head and thorax black bronze ; anterior tibia3 somewhat 



curved ; head very large in male, somewhat quadrate . P. SPLENDENS, F. 



S 2 



