262 STAPHYLINID^. [PhUoTlthUS. 



i. Anterior tarsi of male dilated ; legs yellow-brown, 



femora darker P. UMBEATILIS, Grav. 



ii. Anterior tarsi simple in both sexes, 



1. Thorax black ; elytra more or less plainly metal- 



lie. 



A. Elytra closely punctured. 



a. Size larger ; apex of ventral segments of hind 



body reddish P. CEPHALOTES, Grav. 



b. Size smaller ; hind body unicolorous black . P. nigeitenteis, Thorns. 



B. Elytra rather sparingly punctured ; forehead 



with a plain central depression P. FIMETAEIUS, Grav. 



C. Elytra very coarsely and sparingly punctured ; 



forehead without distinct central depres- 

 sion P. SOEDIDUS, Grav. 



2. Thorax and elytra pitchy brown, sometimes 



reddish, not metallic ; elytra thickly punctured ; • 



antennsB, legs, and apex of segments of hind 



body reddish P. fdscus, Grav. 



P. aeneus, Eossi. Shining black, with the elytra brassy ; head large, 

 transverse, subquadrate^ broader than thorax in male, narrower in female; 

 antennae black, moderately long, with penultimate joints strongly trans- 

 verse, black, with the basal joints sometimes lighter; thorax not con- 

 tracted in front ; elytra about as long as thorax, rather finely^ thickly, 

 and asperately punctured ; hind body finely and thickly punctured ; legs 

 black, tarsi, especially the anterior ones, sometimes pitchy red, the latter 

 strongly dilated in male. L. 9-1 2 mm. 



Male with sixth ventral segment of hind body moderately, seventh 

 segment strongly and deeply, excised on apical margin, the excision being 

 furnished behind with a narrow membranous border. 



In dung, fungi, moss, &c. ; common and generally distributed throughout the 

 kingdom. 



In some specimens (perhaps immature) the legs and base of the antennas 

 are reddish^ and the elytra are sometimes tinged with the same colour. 

 In Dr. Power's collection there is a specimen of this sort from Ealing, 

 and another has been referred to me by Mr. Billups. 



P. proximus, Kr. (succicola, Thorns., carhonarius, Er. and old col- 

 lections nee Gyll.). Very like the preceding, but may at once be distin- 

 guished by the dark greenish or blackish metallic elytra, and by the less 

 close punctuation of the hind body ; in the male the seventh ventral 

 segment of the latter is veny deeply and sharply emarginate, with the 

 sides and apex of the emargination furnished with a rather broad mem- 

 branous border, which is narrower in P. ceneus ; the sixth segment is 

 broadly sinuate. L. 9|-12 mm. 



In putrid fungi, cut grass, and vegetable refuse generally ; local and not common 

 in the south, abundant in the north. Loudon district, rather generally distributed but 

 not common ; Hastings ; Swansea ; Wicken Fen ; Cannock Chase ; llepton ; Liver- 

 pool ; Northumberland district; Scothmd, abundant. Lowlands and Highlands; 

 Ireland, near Wateri'urJ. 



