266 STAPHYLiNiD^. [PhUonthiis. 



distributed ; Cowley near London, Portsmouth (without type form), 

 York, &c. ; it has occurred as far north as the Shetland Islands. 



P. marg-inatus, F. Rather elongate and narrow ; upper surface 

 black with the sides of thorax broadly testaceous, and the elytra slightly 

 metallic with greenish reflection ; under surface black with the prosternum 

 entirely, and the margins of ventral segments, testaceous ; head oval, 

 rather small, antennte rather long, with penultimate joints not transverse 

 about as long as broad, black with the first joint testaceous beneath ; 

 thorax narrowed in front, not as broad behind as elytra ; elytra a little 

 longer than thorax, finely, thickly, and somewhat asperately punctured ; 

 hind body rather sparingly punctured, narrowed behind ; legs testaceous 

 with the posterior coxae and trochanters, and all the knees, darker; anterior 

 tarsi dilated in both sexes, more strongly so in male. L. 7-9 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment moderately emarginate, with a 

 narrow triangular smooth space at apex of emargination. 



lu dung, moss, haystack refuse, &c. ; common and generally distributed through- 

 out the kingdom. 



P. lepidus, Grav, Apterous, shining black, with the elytra brick- 

 red or reddish testaceous ; head oval, much narrower than thorax, antennse 

 rather long with penultimate joints about as long as broad, brownish 

 black, with the two first joints reddish testaceous ; thorax very shiny, 

 narrowed in front ; elytra strongly transverse, very short, much shorter 

 than thorax, finely, thickly, and somewhat asperately punctured ; hind 

 body thickly punctured ; legs reddish testaceous, with the posterior coxsb 

 a little darker, anterior tarsi rather strongly dilated in male, almost simple 

 in female. L. 6 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment rather strongly sinuate, with a 

 smooth triangidar space in front of the sinuation. 



At roots of grass in sandy places, generally on the coast ; very local ; Deal, rather 

 plentiful (J. J. Walker and Dr. Power); Lancaster, river refuse (A. Restou). 



In the type form of this species (P. {jilinpes, Er.) the elytra are green- 

 ish bronze ; we do not appear to have this form in Britain. 



P. albipeS; Grav. A small and somewhat narrow species, some- 

 what fusiform, shining black, with the elytra pitch-black (occasionally 

 with greenish reflection) ; head oval, narrower than thorax, antennsa 

 moderately long, with the penultimate joints feebly transverse; thorax 

 narrowed in front, about as broad at base as base of elytra; elytra as long 

 as, or a little longer than, thorax, rather finely, thickly, and somewhat 

 asperately punctured ; hind body finely and rather thickly punctured, 

 with the punctuation rather closer toM-ards the base of the four first seg- 

 ments ; legs testaceous, anterior tarsi of male slightly dilated, of female 

 simple. L. 41 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body slightly sinuate 

 in centre of apical margin. 



