British Species of Homalota. 147 



domen is shining black; the basal segments sparingly 

 punctured, the apical ones still more so, nearly impunc- 

 tate. Legs pitchy-testaceous; tibige and tarsi a little 

 paler than the femora. 



In the male, the seventh dorsal segment of the abdo- 

 men is furnished, befoi'e the apex, with a curved trans- 

 verse row of irregular tubercles, six in number, three on 

 each side; the outside one starts from the external apical 

 angle of the segment, joins a second more elevated one, 

 while more in the middle is a third smaller and more in- 

 distinct one ; the posterior margin of the same segment 

 has in the middle a triangular notch, neither very wide 

 nor very deep, and the hind margin is a little thickened. 



In the female, the apical margin of the dorsal plate of 

 the seventh segment is a little emarginate in the middle, 

 but not deeply so. 



This species is rare, but I have found it in several 

 localities in Scotland. Rannoch, Arran, Strath Cannich, 

 Thornhill. 



Ohs. — Compared with H. fungivora, H. excellens is found 

 to be comparatively broader and less elongate, rather 

 more shining, of a darker, blacker colour, with shorter, 

 broader elytra, &c. It is more closely allied to H. mon- 

 ticola, and is distinguished from that species by its darker 

 coloured elytra, less shining surface, and less delicate punc- 

 tuation and pubescence. The males of the two species 

 are to be distinguished at once by the remarkable abdom- 

 inal characters, but the distinction of the females is by 

 no means easy. A specimen of H. excellens sent by 

 Kraatz to the British Museum agrees with my specimens. 



43. Homalota monticola. 



Nitidula, subtiliter punctata, nigra, elytris fuscis, pedi- 

 bus fusco-testaceis ; thorace transversim convexiusculo, 

 latitudine fere dimidio breviore; abdomine basi parce 

 punctate, apice laevigato. Long. 1^ lin. 



Mas J capite medio thoraceque ante basin distincte 

 impressis ; abdomine segmento 7° dorsali pliculis 4 in- 

 structo, apice profunde triangulariter excise, et cum 

 lateribus reflexo-marginato. 



Fem.; segmento 7° dorsali medio leviter emarginato. 



