428 STAPHTLiNiD^. [Prutcmns. 



P. ovalis, Steph. {hrevicoUis, Er.). Oblong oval, rather convex, 

 black, somewhat shining, clothed with rather sparse, but evident, 

 greyish pubescence ; head transverse triangular, very finely shagreened, 

 with eyes prominent; antennte entirely pitchy black, first joint occasionally 

 dark pitchy red, first two joints much thickened, the last three or four 

 forming a distinct club ; thorax very transverse, narrower than elytra, 

 very finely shagreened, and under a high magnifying power finely and 

 difiusely punctured, with sides a little narrowed in front and almost 

 straight behind, posterior angles almost right angles ; elytra more than 

 double as long as thorax, black with shoulders obscurely brownish, 

 rather strongly sculptured, alutaceous ; hind body oval, acuminate at 

 apex, very finely and somewhat asperately punctured ; legs testaceous, 

 L. 2 mm. 



In fungi, haystack refuse, decaying sea-weed, dung-heaps, &c. ; common and gene- 

 rally distributed from the Midlands southwards ; rarer further north ; Northumber- 

 land district, rare (]Morpetli, Gosforth, &c.) ; Scotland, rare, Solway ani Forth 

 districts; Ireland, Armagh. 



P. brachypterus, F. (Ia:vicoJUs, Heer). Yery like the preceding, 

 but considerably smaller, with the thorax rather longer and the elytra 

 shorter in proportion ; in mature specimens the first joint only of the 

 antennre is clear red ; the elytra are unicolorous black, and not lighter 

 at the shoulders, and are less strongly sculptured. L. 1^ mm. 



Found under the same circumstances as the preceding ; common and generally 

 distributed throughout Eugland ; Scotland, common in decaying vegetable matter, 

 Solway, Tweed, Forth, Tay, Dee, Moray, and probably other districts; Ireland, 

 Dublin and Belfast, and probably common throughout the country. 



P. macropterus, Gyll. Smaller than the preceding, with the 

 elytra brownish black, or pitchy brown ; the antennae have the first two 

 joints clear red in mature specimens ; the thorax is more finely sha- 

 greened and duller, and is more gradually rounded from a little before 

 base to apex, and the elytra are much more finely sculptured. L. Ij 

 mm. 



In fungi, flood refuse, under dead leaves, &c. ; local and not common ; Esher,Chat- 

 tenden, Claygate, Birch Wood, Balcombe, Shirley, Walton-on-Thames, Chatham, 

 Slieerness, Tonbridge ; Glaiivilles Wootton ; Devonshire; Salford Priors; Wickeu 

 Fen; Chat Moss; Mabberley, Cheshire; Lincoln; Scotland, very rare, Solway 

 district. 



P. atomarius, Er. An exceedingly small species, somewhat 

 resembling a large Trichoj^teryx ; about half the size of the preceding, 

 brownish, or brownish-black ; the antennte are testaceous Avith the 

 exception of the club ; the sculpture of tlie thorax and elytra is much as 

 in F. macropterus, but the posterior angles of the former are sharper 

 and more projecting ; the hind body is extremely finely sculptured. 

 L. f mm. 



In rotten fungi ; local, and as a rule not common ; London district, not nucommon, 

 Darenth Wood, Fuvcrshaui, Brasted, Shirley, Catcrham, Eshcr, Ashtcad, Micklchani ; 



