346 STAPHYLiNiD^. [Stenits. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind boily broadly and 



feebly emarginate at apex. 



In moss, haystack refuse, by sweeping:, &c. ; most abundant and common throughout 

 the kingdom ; one of the commonest of British beetles. 



This species somewhat resembles S. latifrons, but that species is much 

 less coarsely punctured, and has the elytra longer, and the lobes of the 

 penultimate joint of the tarsi much more strongly developed. 



(Section V.) 



This section contains a considerable number of species, which are 

 characterized by having the penultimate joint of the tarsi bilobed, and 

 the hind body margined ; the colour of the elytra is always unicolorous 

 black, but the colour of the legs is very variable, in some species being 

 quite black, and in others entirely, or almost entirely, testaceous ; in 

 size and form also there is considerable variation, and the section must 

 be considered as somewhat an artificial one. 



I. Posterior tarsi long and slender, evidently longer 

 than half the tibiae. 

 i. Hind body plainly bordered throughout, not or 

 hardly cylindrical. 



1. Elytra distinctly longer than thorax. 



A. Legs more or less testaceous; thorax with 



central furrow marked. 



a. Upper surface shiny. 



a*. Punctuation rather strong and coarse; 

 _^ apex of femora broadly darker (for about 



^ half their length) ; tibiae more or less 



dark S. slTB^NEtra, Er. 



b*. Punctuation finer; knees only narrowly 



darker S. ^Rosus, Er. 



b. Upper surface dull, very thickly punctured ; 

 apex of femora moderately broadly darker 

 (for about one-third of their length) ; tibise 



more or less dark S. OSSITTM, Steph. 



B. Legs reddish brown ; thorax with central fur- 



row obsolete . . S. puscicoenis, Er. 



2. Elytra about as long as thorax. 



A. Thorax and elytra very strongly punctured ; 



antennae long and slender ; size larger . . . S. GLACIALIS, iZeer. 



B. Thorax and elytra moderately strongly punc- 



tured ; antenna) shorter ; size smaller ._ 



a. Upper surface rather dull black without 



leaden reflection, 

 a*. Legs testaceous with knees only darker ; 



size larger S. QENICULATUS, Grav. 



b*. Legs dark reddish brown, with the 



basal half of femora testaceous; size 



smaller S. PALUSTEIS, Er. 



b. Upper surface shining black with leaden 



reflection, 

 a*. Elytra as long as thorax, scarcely 

 widened behmd S. impeessuS, Germ, 



