HumaUum.'] staphylikid.k 415 



punctuation of the elytra and the feebler impressions on the head • 

 colour blaek, with elytra often lighter or darker pitchy brown or even 

 brownish testaceous; thorax more transverse than in the precedin<r 

 species almost double as broad as Ion-, with the posterior anodes blunt° 

 and the impressions on disc not deep ; elytra plainly more th°an double 

 as long as thorax ; hind body scarcely punctured, very finely sha^rreened 

 almost always lighter at apex ; legs testaceous. L. 2 mm. ° ' 



In dead leaves haystack refuse, decaying sea-weed, &c. ; occasionally by swcopinff • 

 local; London district, not uncommon, and generally distributed; Dover- Wicken 

 ten; Birmingham district; Sherwood Forest ; Robins Wood, Repton ; Northumber- 

 land distric coinmon (Hold) ; Scotland, not common, but widely distributed, Solway, 

 Tweed, Forth, Dee and Moray districts ; Ireland, recorded from Armagh, but I do not 

 feel sure as to the identity of the specimens. ° "i- i- uo not 



H. excavatum, Steph. (fossulatnm, Er.). Deep black, rather 

 shining, front parts duller than hind body owing to their close punctua- 

 tion ; head thickly, finely, and deeply punctured, with two larc^e deep 

 longitudinal impressions before ocelli, almost meeting the strong !mpres- 

 sions near antennae (this is seen more plainly if the insect is held a little on 

 one side while examined); autennte reddish brown or reddish, often 

 darker at base, rather long, penultimate joints transverse ; thorax evi- 

 dently narrower than elytra much broader than long, with two compara- 

 tively small, but very deep, furrows on disc, and a very strong and deep 

 depression on each side near margins; punctuation rather "thick but 

 variable, posterior angles sharp right angles ; elytra about twice as loner 

 as thorax thickly and rather deeply punctured; hind body smooth and 

 shmmg ; legs reddish testaceous. L. 3-3i mm. 



In dead leaves haystack and vegetable refuse, &c. ; common and generally distri- 

 buted throughout England and Scotland as far north as the Shetland Islands • pro- 

 bably equally common in Ireland. ' ^ 



H. caesum, Grav. {impressum, Heer, corticinum, Mots.). This and 

 the succeeding species may be at once distinguished from all their allies 

 by having only a narrow impressed line before the ocelli ; colour black 

 rather dull, with the elytra pitchy-black or brownish ; head very closely 

 punctured, with the clypeus smooth and shining; antennte reddish 

 darker at base, penultimate joints transverse; thorax narrower than 

 elytra, thickly punctured, with central furrows distinct; elytra quite 

 double as long as thorax, very thickly and rather strongly punctured • 

 hind body extremely finely punctured, dull; legs lighter or darker testa- 

 ceous according to the colour of the rest of the insect. L. 2-2i mm. 



In haystacic and vegetable refuse, decaying fungi, debris of fern, &c. ; common and 

 generally distributed throughout the greater part of the kingdom. 



H. nipiceps, Kies. This is a very unsatisfactory species, and is 

 very prooably only a variety of the preceding; it may, as a rule be 

 superficially distinguished with ease by its black head and the rufo-tes- 

 taceous colour of the rest of the body, but it seems to vary in this respect 



