StenUS.\ STAPHTLINID.E. 859 



In haystack refuse, moss, at roots of grass, &c., in marshy places ; I have also 

 taken it commonly by sweeping in osier-beds ; commou and generally distributed 

 throughout the greater part of the kingdom. 



S. pag'anus, Er. (fidvicornis, Steph.). This species is of much 

 the same buihl and shape as the preceding, but is considerably smaller, 

 and tlio punctuation is relatively stronger ; leaden-black, slightly 

 shining ; head as broad as elytra, with the frontal furrows slight and the 

 interval between them broad and not much raised, but rather variable, 

 and sometimes almost keeled ; antennae short, testaceous, with the two 

 basal joints and the club blackish, palpi testaceous, with apical joint 

 brownish ; thorax a little longer than broad, strongly and thickly punc- 

 tured ; elytra longer than thorax, and with about the same punctuation ; 

 hind body strongly and thickly punctured, more finely behind ; legs 

 pitchy brown, or reddish brown, with knees darker. L. 3-3^ mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body deeply and nar- 

 rowly excised in a sharp angle, sixth rather broadly cmarginate^ with a 

 broad impression which is punctured and pubescent just before apex, the 

 impression terminated on each side by a small blunt elevation or keel, 

 fifth segment depressed, and punctured and pubescent, on its median 

 line. 



Marshy places ; in moss, haystack refuse, at roots of grass, &c. ; somewhat local, 

 but generally distributed throughout the greater part of England ; rarer in the 

 north ; Scotland, local, Solway, Tweed, Forth, Tay, and Clyde districts ; Ireland, near 

 Belfast, Waterford, &c. 



S. latifrons, Er. Closely allied to the preceding, but easily distin- 

 guished by its more linear form, somewhat different punctuation, and the 

 darker colour of the legs and antennae ; the elytra are rather shorter and 

 narrower in proportion to the thorax, and the male characters are somewhat 

 different, the impressions on the fifth and sixth ventral segments being a 

 little less strong and less pubescent : this and the preceding species bear a 

 considerable resemblance to ;S^. hrunnipes, Steph., but that insect may be at 

 once dingistuished by its much less strongly bilobed tarsi and short elytra ; 

 from S.j^ciffcinus, moreover, it differs by its much darker legs and antennae, 

 and from S. latifrons by its coarser punctuation. L. 3-3| mm. 



Found in the same localities as the preceding, and very often in company with it I 

 rather local, but not uncommon in the London, southern, western, and midland dis- 

 tricts ; rarer further north j Northumberland district, rare j Scotland, local, Solway, 

 Forth, and Tay districts. 



S. oscillator, Rye. This species appears to be intermediate be- 

 tween 8. paganus and S. latifruns, having the palpi and anteunjo 

 coloured as in the former, and the dark legs of the latter ; from both, 

 however, it differs in its evidently less strong and close punctuation, 

 and more shining appearance; the head is very shining and has tlio 

 interval between the frontal furrows more mark(!d, and the shape of 

 the thorax is a little different, being less suddenly and more slightly 



