PJlilotlthus,] STAPHYLINIDiE. 277 



B. Elytra coarsely punctured, hind body moderately 

 thickly and finely punctui'cd. 



a. Size smaller ; colour darker ; legs pitch-black . P. nigritultts, Orav. 



b. Size larger ; colour lighter ; legs lighter or 



darker testaceous P. trossultts, Nord. 



ii. Elytra bright red P. fuivipes, F. 



II. Antenna) stout, rather strongly thickened towards apex ; 

 last joint of maxillary palpi about as long as the preced- 

 ing ; upper surface, antennae, and legs black ; length 

 4^-5 mm P. pulltts, Nord. 



P. nigrita, Nord. En.tirely black, shining ; head oval, narrower 

 than thorax, antennae black, long and slender, with the penultimate joints 

 longer than broad ; thorax slightly narrowed in front, scarcely oblong, 

 almost as broad at base as base of elytra ; elytra slightly longer than 

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

 narrowed gradually towards apex, with sides somewhat rounded, rather 

 finely and thickly punctured, more sparingly behind ; legs black, with 

 the tarsi, and sometimes the knees, pitchy red, anterior tarsi strongly 

 dilated in male, moderately in female. L. 6^-7 mm. 



]\lale with the seventh segment of hind body deeply and sharply 

 excised, the excision behind being partly filled with membrane. 



In marshy places ; at roots of grass, in sphagnum, &c. ; not common; Eltham, 

 Wimbledon, Esher, Chobham, Waddon (Surrey), Cowley, Merton Marsh; Hastings; 

 New Forest ; Cannock Chase ; Coleshill, near Birmingham ; Withington, near Man- 

 chester; Scotland, scarce, Solway, Forth, and Tay districts. 



P. fumarius, Grav. Black, shining, with the elytra slightly bronzed; 

 head oval, narrower than thorax; antennte rather long, with the penulti- 

 mate joints longer than broad, black with the first joint, and sometimes 

 the last, lighter; thorax somewhat narrowed in front, almost as broad at 

 base as base of elytra ; elytra as long as thorax, finely, thickly, and some- 

 what asperately punctured ; hind body narrowed behind, finely and rather 

 thickly punctured on the basal segments, less thickly on the apex of 

 fourth, and the whole of the others; legs reddish-testaceous or reddish 

 with the coxae dark, anterior tarsi rather strongly dilated in male, almost 

 simple in female. L. 6|-7 mm. 



Male with the seventh segment of hind body rather deeply and angu- 

 larly sinuate, with a triangular smooth space before the sinuation. 



Marshy places, in moss, flood refuse, &c. ; also on the coast in sea-weed, &c. ; local ; 

 London district, not uncommon; Lee, Waltou-on-Thames, Eltham, Strood ; Folke- 

 stone; Brighton; Eastbourne; Sandown, Isle of Wight; Soham, Cambridgeshire; 

 York : not recorded from the extreme north of England or Scotland. 



P. micans, Grav. Black, with the elytra slightly bronzed, and the 

 apex of hind body, and often the intersections of the ventral segments, 

 reddish-testaceous ; head oval, plainly narrower than thorax, antennae 

 rather long, black, with the first joint, and sometimes the last, brownish- 

 testaceous or reddish-brown, penultimatejoints longer than broad; thorax 

 more or less narrowed in front, a little narrower at base than elytra ; 



