15 



apex, the last joint decidedly the shortest; first and second joints moderately elongate, 

 obconic, and nearly e([ual ; tliird joint about half the size of the preceding ; of the re- 

 maining joints the first two or three are quadrate or nearly so, and the remainder (with 

 the exception of the last) distinctly transverse. Thorax gradually contracted from the 

 base to the fore part, the sides and the posterior margin gently rounded; above con- 

 vex and even, or with a very indistinct dorsal furrow. Elytra about one-fourth longer 

 than the thorax and rather broader, the puncturing tine, and, being extremely dense, 

 produce a dull appearance. Abdomen attenuated and also very finely and densely 

 punctured, the last segment and the edge of the preceding one often fuscous. Legs 

 more or less dusky, with the knees and tarsi fusco-testaceous. 



I met with this insect at Charlton in June, 1856, and at Erilh in July, 1855, and 

 some other localities not distant from London ; it is also found in Scotland, Mr. Morris 

 Young having taken it at Paisley. 



OXYPODA NIGRO-FUSCA, 



O. Fuseo-nigra, thorace, eli/lri^, abdominisque apice ftiscis ; pebidu.i tcstaceis; corpore 

 fusiformi, supra confertim suhtilissime punctulato. Long. 1 lin. 



It was with some little hesitation that I ventured to separate this species from 

 O. hsemorrhoa, Mannerheim, so much does it resemble that insect in size and form, as 

 well as in the structure of the anlennae ; the fuscous thorax and elytra I at first thought 

 might only be indications of immaturity; I found, however, that all the specimens 

 which presented this colouring had the thorax dull, whereas in 0. hiBmorrhoa the 

 same part is somewhat glossy, and upon placing the two insects side by side under a 

 low power in the microscope, I soon perceived that the punctuation of the thorax was 

 much more dense in the insect I call O. nigro-fusca. 



Found in the dSbris left upon removing a stack of faggots in Bishop's Wood, near 

 Hampstead. 



HOMALOTA PLUMBEA. 



H. Plumbeo- nigra, opaca, griseo-pubescens, creberrime subtilissime punctata ; antennis 

 fuscis, pedibus fusco-testaceis ; ihorace subquadrato coleopteris mullo angiis- 

 tiore ; abdomine nitidiusculo. Long. 1^ lin. 



This species should be placed in Kraatz's second section, near to the Tachyusiform 

 species, such as Homalota labilis, &c., in which the elytra are ample, distinctly 

 broader than the thorax. It reminds one of H. incana, Erichs., agreeing pretty 

 nearly in size, form, and colouring with that insect, but it is much more thickly and 

 finely punctured, and the antennae are longer, and none of the joints are decidedly 

 transverse ; the legs, moreover, are paler. Head rather narrower than the thorax, 

 convex and rounded, but with the eyes slightly prominent, and the parts of the mouth 

 rather produced, the surface, like that of the thorax and elytra, of a somewhat dull 

 and silky appearance, owing to the thickness and fineness of the puncturing, combined 

 with a tolerable dense and fine ash-coloured pubescence; palpi and antennse dusky, 

 the latter sometimes, with the base, dirty testaceous ; they increase very slightly in 

 thickness towards the apex ; the first three joints considerably elongated and very 

 nearly equal ; of the following joints the first are rather longer than broad, and the 

 penultimate quadrate ; the terminal joint nearly equal in length to the two preceding 

 taken together. Thorax subquadrate, slightly emarginate in front; the sides pre- 

 senting a very gentle sigmoid curve, being a little dilated and rounded towards the 



