British Species of Ilomalota. 129 



The male has the under plate of the seventh segment 

 of the abdomen projecting a little beyond the upper 

 plate, and its apex is rounded ; while in the female, the 

 under plate does not project beyond the upper, and its 

 hind margin is emarginate in the middle. 



Abundant under sea-weed on the coasts of England 

 and Scotland. 



Ohs, — Thomson has reversed the sexes of this species. 



29. Homalota nitidula. 



Nigra, nitidula, elytris vel piceis vel brunneis, pedibus 

 piceo-testaceis ; subtiliter sat confertim punctata ; thorace 

 subquadrato, postice haud angustato ; abdomine supra 

 segmentis 2-4 parcius punctatis, 5 et 6 fere Isevigatis. 

 Long. l|-2 lin. 



Mas; abdomine segmento 7° supra parce subtiliter 

 granulato, margine apicali truncate et obsolete crenu- 

 lato. 



Fe7n. ; abdomine segmento 7° supra et infra margine 

 apicali rotundato. 



H. nitidula, Kj*. Ins. Deutsch. ii. 211 ; Wat. Cat. ; Atheta 

 nitidula, Th. Sk. Col. iii. 64. 



Var. — Angustior, antennis tenuioribus, thorace paulo 

 longiore, elytris thoracis longitudinis. Hah. in montibus 

 Scotiae. 



This species varies a good deal in the colour of the 

 legs, antennae, and elytra. The antennas are generally 

 black, more or less pale at the base, moderately stout, 

 but little thickened towards the apex ; joints two and 

 three of about equal length ; four to ten scarcely differ- 

 ing in length, but each a little broader than the preced- 

 ing one, the fourth longer than broad, the tenth not so 

 long as broad ; eleventh joint moderately long and 

 rounded, about twice the length of the tenth. Head 

 black and shining, smaller than the thorax, sparingly 

 and finely punctured. The thorax is but little narrower 

 than the elytra, scarcely a third broader than long, not 

 narrowed behind, finely and rather sparingly punctured, 

 with an obsolete impression in front of the scutellum, 

 but not channelled. The elytra are a little longer than 

 the thorax, but more closely and distinctly punctured. 

 The abdomen is shining black, with the basal segments 

 sparingly but distinctly punctured, the apical ones almost 

 impunctate. The legs pitchy-yellow. 



