o 



94 STAFIIYLINIDiE. [Sl/nfcVJliuiU' 



raised central line ; elytra nuicli broader than long, a little longer than 

 thorax, very strongly, thickly, and somewhat rugosely punctured ; hind 

 body short and very broad, almost^ if not quite, as broad as elytra, shin- 

 ing, bronze-black, almost smooth, or extremely finely shagreened ; legs 

 ferruginous or pitchy red. L. 2 mm. 



In moss, or in damp places, especially in woods ; occasionally by evening sweeping ; 

 local ; London district, Caterham, Shirley, Reigate, Eslier, Woking, Tonbridge, &c. ; 

 Dover; Hastings; New Forest; Oxfordshire; Midland districts, rather common, 

 Bewdley Forest, Birmingham district, Repton, &c. ; Liverpool; Manchester; Noith- 

 umberland district; Scotland, not common, but rather widely distributed, Tweed, 

 Solway, Forth, Dee, and Moray districts; Ireland, Dinnish Island (J. J. Walker). 



COPROPHILTJS, Kraatz. 



This genus comprises about half-a-dozeu species (if we exclude the 

 four or five species of the genus Zonoptilus, Mots., which is included 

 under it by some authors), of Avhich three occur in Chili^ one in Mesopo- 

 tamia, and one in Europe : our single species is like a large Oxytelus in 

 general appearance, but has all the tarsi five-jointed ; the strongly striated 

 elytra will at once serve to distinguish it ; it is rather slow in its move- 

 ments, and is often taken on the wing ; it occurs commonly on roads and 

 pavements in some localities during the first warm days of spring. 



C. striatulus, F. Elongate, rather depressed and parallel-sided, 

 shining black, glabrous ; head rather long, narrowed in front, with two 

 very strong impressions, sparingly and unevenly punctured ; antennae 

 rather long, ferruginous or reddish brown, with the apex often a little 

 lighter, penultimate joints scarcely transverse ; thorax about as long as 

 broad, with sides slightly rounded and crenulate in front, and slightly 

 sinuate behind before posterior angles, which are rather prominent right 

 angles, sparingly and unevenly punctured, with a strong elongate central 

 fovea and two smaller ones on each side at base ; elytra longer than 

 thorax, very strongly and deeply striated longitudinally and punctured, 

 the intervals being smooth, apex finely rugose ; hind body narrower 

 than elytra, finely and somewhat asperately punctured in front, almost 

 smooth behind ; legs dark pitchy, or pitchy red, with the trochanters 

 and tarsi light red. L. 6-7 mm. 



Male with the seventh ventral segment of hind body prolonged and 

 somewhat rounded at apex, female with the same segment distinctly 

 produced in a somewhat rounded angle. 



In haystack and vegetable refuse, hotbeds, &c. ; generally distributed and rather 

 common throughout the London, southern, and midland districts ; Lincolu, common 

 on pavements in early spring, running in the sun, but not found later in the year; 

 rarer further north, Scarborough, Manchester, &c. ; Northumberland district, not 

 common; Scotland, Lowlands, scarce, Solway, Tweed, Forth, and Dee districts. 



ACROGNATKUS, Erichson. 

 There appears at present to be only one described species belonging to 



