Enicmus.] clavicornia. 283 



B. Upper surfiice ferruginous or reddish-testa- 

 ceous ; thorax witli sides strougly contracted 



belli nd E. TESTACEU3, Sleph. 



ii. AnteuurG short with the club very abrupt, hardly 

 reaching the middle of thorax ; upper surface dull 

 black, somewhat elongate ; elytra with fine punc- 

 tured striaj E. BRETICORNIS, Mannh. 



[carhonarius, Mannh.) 



E. minutus, L. An extremely variable species, somewhat convex, 

 smooth, dull, black or pitch-brown ; head narrower than eyes, rugosely 

 and coarsely punctured, with a more or less distinct longitudinal furrow ; 

 autennte rather slender, with somewhat gradual club, ferruginous ; 

 thorax very variable both as to size and shape, anterior angles more or 

 less dilated, sides slightly crenulate, subparallcl or sliglitly siiuiate, 

 rugosely punctured, with one or two longitudinal furrows on disc and a 

 transverse impression at base; elytra oval, rather produced at shoulders, 

 Avitli margins raised, punctured striae rather strong ; legs ferruginoxis. 

 L. li-2imm. 



In haystack and other refuse, moss, dung-heaps, v/oodstacks, &c. ; common and 

 generally distributed throughout the kingdom. 



This species is so extremely variable that it is perpetually giving rise 

 to confusion ; the followiug special varieties may be mentioned : — 



Var. a. Entirely of a ferrugino-testaceous colour ; this is often probably the result 



of immaturity. 

 Far. b. Sides of thorax subparallel, anterior angles not advanced in a lobe ; thorax 



subquadrate. 

 Vai: c. Thorax subcordiform, about as broad as long or slightly oblong. (L. 



assimilis, Mannh.) 

 Tar. d. Thorax rather strongly transverse, with the anterior angles scarcely produced. 



(i. anthi-aciiius, Mannh.) 



This is not an uncommon variety, and is larger than the type, and 

 usually of a deeper black colour. 

 Far. e. Size very small. (Permidius minutissimus. Mots.) 



I have seen one or two specimens of this variety from the London 

 district ; no two insects belonging to the same genus could well look less 

 alike than this and the preceding variety. 



{E. consiinilis, Mannh. (Ccmifhassa consimilis, Thorns.). This species 

 is alhed to E. minuhts, but the anterior angles are never advanced in 

 lobes or dilated, and the thorax has only one furrow, and this almost 

 obsolete, on disc ; the elytra are narrower, not very strongly striated and 

 punctured, and the interstices are rather broad, smooth and flat, and 

 never raised. L. 2 mm. 



Introduced as British by Mr. Crotch on the authority of two specimens in the Kev. 

 A. Matthews' collection taken, I believe, in Sherwood Forest ; Mr. Matthews has 

 kindly given me one of these, and it is certainly nothing more than E. brevicornis 

 (carhonarius) with the thorax a little less contracted behind than in the ordinary 

 form of that species ; the species, therefore, must, for the present, at all events, 

 be erased from our lists.) 



