Philunihus.'] STAPnrLiN'iDj:. 279 



P. trossulus, N'ord. {Gahrius trossulus, Muls. et Rcy). Yeiy like 

 tlic in-ecedin,f,', but considoraMy larger, with the legs yellowish testaceous, 

 sometimes slightly pitchy ; the elytra are said to he a little shorter in 

 proportion to the thorax, but in a large series the proportionate length of 

 thorax and elytra varies so much that this character is (^uite worthless ; 

 in some specimens the elytra are pitch-brown or even reddish; there is 

 great confusion between this species and the preceding, and they are 

 considered by some authors to be varieties of one species ; P. nujrifulus, 

 however, as described above has a very distinct appearance ; in most of 

 our collections P. trossulus does duty for both species. L. 4| mm. 



In moss, vegetable refuse, dung heap?, &c. ; common and generally distributed 

 throughout the kingdom. 



P. fulvipes, F, Somewhat fusiform, black, with the elytra bright 

 red ; head oval, less broad than thorax, antennse dark, with the three 

 first joints more or less brightly testaceous, penultimate joints about as 

 long as broad ; thorax, very shining, somewhat narroAved in front, a little 

 narrower at base than elytra ; elytra about as long as thorax, finely and 

 rather thickly punctured ; hind body narrowed behind and feebly 

 rounded at sides, with line grey pubescence, finely and rather thickly 

 punctured ; legs reddish testaceous, Avith the coxas darker, anterior tarsi 

 strongly dilated in male, almost simple in female. L. 5-5|- mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body plainly and angu- 

 larly sinuate, with a large smooth triangular space before sinuation, sixth 

 segment often slightly emarginate. 



Marshy places, in moss, flood refuse, &c. ; not common ; Dulwich, Walton-on- 

 Thames, Faygate, Micldeham, j\Ierton, Cowley ; Barnstaple, Dei'on ; Tewkesbury ; 

 Bewdley Forest ; Burton ; Church Stretton ; Lancaster ; Northumberland district, 

 rare ; Scotland, rare, Tweed and Solway districts. 



The six species, P. vemalis, sijlendidulus, fliermarum, asfutus, nigritU' 

 his, and trossulus are placed by iSfulsant and Eey in the sub-genns Gahrius, 

 which is distinguished from Philontlius by having the last joint of the 

 labial palpi subulate and evidently narrower than the preceding ; the 

 anterior tarsi are simple, or almost simple, in l)otli sexes, and the first 

 joint of the posterior tarsi is about equal in length to the last, and as long 

 as the two following united. 



P. pullus, Nord. (Ealdr/us pullus, Muls. et Rey). Shining black, 

 •with the elytra and hind body strongly pubescent, and so duller, tlie 

 former very slightly metallic ; head subovate, not much narrower than 

 thorax in front, antennse rather long and stout, entirely black, plainly 

 thickened towards apex, with joints 6-7 about as long as broad, 8-10 

 transverse ; thorax longer than broad, narrower than elytra ; elytra as 

 long as thorax, rather finely and thickly punctured ; hind body narrowed 

 behind, with sides slightly rounded, finely and rather thickly, but dis- 

 tinctly, punctured ; legs pitch-black, posterior tarsi almost as long as the 



