372 STAPHYLINID^. [BlrdiiiS. 



Male with tlie sixth ventral segment of hind body broadly sinuate, 

 the siuuation being Idled uith membrane, and furnished on each side 

 with a long fine and sharp projecting spine ; these are plainly visible 

 from above, and the species may be easily known by their presence ; 

 liey, in his figure (Brevipennes, 1879, Oxyteliens, PI. iv.), represents 

 these species as directed outwards at apex : in all the specimens I have 

 examined they are directed inwards. 



In the summer of 1878 I took two or three specimens of this insect 

 on the side of a sandy and clayey cliff near Bridlington, Yorkshire ; they 

 were in company with a Dyscldrius very like D. angustatus, but apparently 

 only small D. politics ; these specimens were named for me BJedius 

 erratlcus, and as such I had the species for a long time in my collection ; 

 ai'terwards, however, it appeared that they had very little in common 

 with B. erraticus, being quite distinct by the much stronger sculpture of 

 the thorax and elytra, while their longer elytra separated them from 

 B. crassicollis ; they at last proved to be the species now described. In 

 the summer of 1884 I found the species in profusion at Bridlington, 

 together with its larva and pupa : it burrows in the clay cliffs and its 

 casts are very conspicuous on their sides if searched for from a few feet 

 above high-water mark, almost to their top ; these are the cliffs in the 

 crevices of which Nehria livida occurs commonly ; I never found the 

 insect running on the level sand like Blcdius arenarius, which also 

 occurs in profusion at Bridlington ; it ahvays required digging for, and 

 appeared almost invariably to frequent clay. 



V. nigricans, Er. In this variety the elytra are almost or entirely 

 black ; it occurs with the ordinary furm. 



This species appears to bear a close relation to B. crihricollis, Ileer., 

 but may be distinguished by the elytra being testaceous or less brightly 

 red, by the rather closer punctuation of the thorax (the interstices between 

 the punctures being more evidently shagreened), and somewhat shorter 

 antennae ; the long spines on the sixth ventral segment of hind body in 

 male will distinguish the species from all its allies. 



B. erraticuSj Er. (Blediodes erraticns, Muls. et Eey). Black with 

 the elytra red or chestnut-red with the suture more or less broadly 

 darker ; head very finely shagreened ; antennaj short, red with the base 

 lighter, penultimate joints transverse; thorax broader than long, parallel- 

 sided, strongly narrowed behind, sinuate just before posterior angles, 

 which are subrectangular and furnished with a minute prominent tooth, 

 central line replaced by a smooth space, upper surface finely but distinctly 

 shagreened, and besides sparingly and rather obsoletely punctured ; elytra 

 evidently longer than thorax, rather finely punctured ; hind body very 

 slightly widened behind, very finely shagreened, shining black with 

 apex reddish ; legs reddish-testaceous. L. 3|-3| mm. 



Male with the sixth ventral segment of hind body simple, the seventh 

 slightly bisinuate. 



