StenUS.'] STAPHYLINIDiE. 343 



S. crassus, Stoph. (crassi renins, Thnms., m'grifnhis, Er. iw Gyll.). 

 Black, rather shining, clothed with sliglit, short, whitish pubescence ; 

 head scarcely broader than thorax, frontal furrows broad and obsolete 

 witli a fine raised middle line ; antenna3 rather short, black, palpi black, 

 with first joint pitchy-testaceous; thorax rather longer than broad, 

 with sides romided before middle and narrowed behind, strongly, evenly, 

 and not very closely punctured, without dorsal channel; elytra a little 

 longer, and considerably broader than thorax, and not so closely punc- 

 tured ; hind body rather short, stout, and cylindrical, evidently more 

 narrowed behind in the male than in the female, rather finely and 

 sparingly punctured, with the front segments furnished at base with 

 four small keels ; legs black or blackish, tarsi rather short, with the 

 penultimate joint subcordiform. L. 3-3i mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body feebly emarginate 

 at apex. 



In manure lieaps, haystack refuse, &c. ; usually in dry places ; local ; London 

 district, rather common ; Esher, Lee, Amberley, Eltham, Sheeruess, Northfleet, 

 Toubridge ; Bungay ; Brighton ; Weston ; Boston ; Knowle ; Scarborough ; Liver- 

 pool ; Northumberland district, rare, Long Benton, Gosforth, Budle Crag, VVallington ; 

 Scotland, local, Sol way, Forth, and Tay districts. 



V. littoralis, Thoms. {S. littoralis, Thoms., horealis, IMaekl.). Very 

 like the type form, but smaller, with the legs pitchy, and the punctuation 

 closer on the elytra, and thicker and stronger on the hind body ; the 

 head also is rather broader and the frontal keel more obtuse, and the 

 keels at the base of the front segments of hind body are more obsolete. 



91 



Y nam. 



Damp and marshy places; Claygate near Esher, Merton Marsh, Notting Hill and 

 Hammersmith Marshes, Dulwich, Tonbridge ; also at Weston-super-Mare : it is 

 probably often confused with small specimens of the type form. 



S. opticus, Grav. Dull black ; head evidently broader than thorax 

 •with large prominent eyes ; antennae and palpi pitchy, the latter with 

 the basal joint testaceous ; thorax evenly rounded from middle but a 

 little more contracted behind than in front, very closely and somewhat 

 rugosely punctured ; elytra hardly longer than thorax, and with the punc- 

 tuation hardly as close but rather stronger, suture shining ; hind body 

 narrow, attenuate at apex, rather finely and sparingly punctured not 

 margined, segments 2-3 Avith four very small and fine keels at base, 

 4-6 simply crenulate ; legs dark pitchy-red, often almost black, tarsi 

 short with fourth joint simple. L. 2-|^-2f mm. 



Male with sixth and seventh ventral segments of hind body slightly 

 emarginate at apex. 



Marshy places, usually in fen districts; rare; Chobham, Surrey; Hornino- and 

 Ranworth Fens, Norfolk; Derwcntvvater : Mr. Matthews and Mr. Crotcl^ once 

 took it abundantly at Horning Fen by sweeping in the dark, bite at night, and 

 examining the contents of their nets next day : the species was not to be found in the 

 daytime. 



