Triclwpteryx.'] clavicouxia. 1l>7 



Two specimens t;ik"ii iit Wostoii, Oxfardshii\', by Mr. ]\[iitLhe\vs, iu moss. 



T, variolosa, MuLs. {Bwocrara liiforal/^, Tlioins.). Suboval, .shiniiif^, 

 convex, nigro-castaneous, or nearly black, sparingly clotlied with stout 

 silvery hairs, not tuberculate, but with the whole surface impressed with 

 large imnctures, variolose ; head large, elongate in front, eyes proniinent, 

 aijtenu;^ long and rather slender, pitchy-testaceous ; thorax short, trans- 

 verse, with sides strongly margined and rounded in front and behind, 

 posterior angles acute, not produced ; scutellum large, deeply punctured ; 

 elytra rather short, dilated behind, with the sides rounded and strongly 

 margined, apices broad, almost straight; legs long, clear yellow, femora 

 pitchy ; under-side castaneous, mouth and coxte yellow. L. f- 1- mm. 



In moss, duncT, &c. ; rare; the first Hiitish specimen was tuken by Mr. Matthews 

 near Gumley, Liicestershire, February, 7tb, 1852 ; subsequently Mr. Matthews foinul 

 iinotherin the same locality ; it has also occurred at Bsher, near London ; JMr. Wollas- 

 ton has talven it on Dartmoor, in Devonshire, and Dr. Sharp in the New Forest 

 and in Scothind, in which country he records it as rare in sheep's dung, Tay district 

 (Rannoch). 



Thomson separates this species on the ground of the sculpture and 

 strongly margined thorax as a new genus Bcx'ocmra ; it is true that it 

 presents the only instance of true punctuation in tlie genus, but tlie 

 margined thorax is found in other species, and the mouth parts, ttc, 

 appear to be identical ; I have therefore followed Mr. Matthews in 

 keeping it under Trichopferyx. 



SMICRUS, Matthews. 



Tliis genus contains one European species, which is distinguislied 

 from Microptilhim, which has been included under it, by having the 

 thorax plainly constricted behind, and also by the long ligula, and 

 narrowly himinate posterior coxas ; it is extremely rare in Europe, but 

 rather common in iS'ort]! and South America ; it is found in dung-heaps, 

 and also iu the sandy banks of streams. 



S. filicornis, Matth. {Micrus, Matth.j. Oblong, subparallel, con- 

 vex, dull black, very thickly clothed witli short yellow hairs ; head 

 large, broad, minutely and closely tuberculate, antennre very long and 

 slender, yellow ; thorax transverse, with sides rounded in front, and 

 constricted at base, very closely and minutely tuberculate, posterior 

 margin almost straight, angles acute ; scutellum large ; elytra rather 

 long, with sides almost parallel, very closely and deeply asperate ; abdo- 

 men rather long, with five segments exserted ; legs long, robust, clear 

 yellow ; under-side pitchy-black, with mouth, coxae, and apex of meta- 

 sternum clear yellow, apical segment in male broadly and deeply emar- 

 ginate, with a long process in middle, armed on each side Avith an 

 elongate sharp spine. L. |-1| mm. 



Very rare ; once found by Mr. Matthews in numbers on the banks of tlie Rye, 



