3G6 STAPHYLiNiD^. [Bledius. 



Gravesend ; Shecrness ; Harwich ; Essex Coast j Deal ; Pegwell Bay ; Dover ; Isle of 

 Wight ; Weymouth ; Portland ; Bournemouth ; Dawlish ; Lancashire Coast ; Scot- 

 land, maritime, very local, Solway aud Forth districts, 



B. tricornis, Herbst, {nuchkornis, Rey). This species is very 

 closely related to the preceding, and by some authors has been con- 

 founded with it ; it is, however, smaller, and is easily distinguished by 

 the shorter and less conspicuous thoracic horn, and by the shape and 

 sculpture of the thorax, which has the sides more rounded and less 

 abruptly contracted behind, and the punctuation much more regular, and un- 

 interrupted by raised smooth spaces on disc as va.B. spectahilis; occasionally 

 there are one or two of these spaces near the middle ; the elytra are of 

 a more yellowish- red or testaceous colour, and as a rule are more inf useate 

 around scutellum and near suture ; these latter are also a little more 

 closely punctured, and the apex of hind body is rather lighter. L. 

 6 mm. 



Salt marshes, burrowing beneath stones, in the banks of pools, &c. j very local, but 

 common where it occurs; Sheerness (J. J. Walker, in profusion); Sandgate; Lowes- 

 toft ; Deal ; Hastings ; Littlehampton ; Lymington ; Shoreham ; Bxraouth Warren ; 

 Hunstanton ; Manchester and Lancaster district ; Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire ; not 

 recorded from further north j Ireland, North Bull Sands, Dublin. 



B< unicornis, Germ, (monoceros, Rosh.). One of the smallest of 

 our species, rather narrow and convex, black or pitch-black with the 

 elytra black, pitchy, or occasionally testaceous ; head subtriangular, 

 together with eyes as broad as or broader than thorax, with a prominence 

 on each side which is more raised in male than in female, very finely 

 shagreened; antennae short ferruginous or red with apex usually darker; 

 thorax as long as broad, armed in front with a long sharp horn in male, 

 which is usually reddish at apex, very finely channelled, shagreened, and 

 besides rather strongly, although shallowly, punctured, sides' subparallel 

 strongly narrowed behind ; elytra scarcely longer than thorax, rather 

 strongly and thickly punctured ; hind body very finely shagreened, and 

 sparingly and obsoletely punctured at sides ; legs pitchy, reddish or tes- 

 taceous, with femora darker. L. 3|-4 mm. 



Found under the same circumstances as the preceding ; very local, but common 

 where it occurs; Chobham ; Hastings; Shoreham; Lymington; Cowes ; Portland; 

 Weymouth j Exmouth Warren ; Dawlish ; Teignmouth ; Hunstanton ; Manchester 

 district. 



B. blcornis, Germ. (Buddii, Steph. ("?), dama, Mots., Elhidus hicornis, 

 Muls. et Key). This species is exceedingly closely allied to B. taurus, of 

 which it has been considered a small variety or race by many authors ; 

 in almost all points of colour, shape, and sculpture it bears a close 

 resemblance to that species ; it may, however, be at once known by its 

 smaller size, and the absence of the thoracic and frontal horns in the 

 male, the latter being replaced by two short horn-like prominences (which 

 are present but smaller in the female), and the former being entirely 



