176 Dr. Sharp's Revision of the 



Aleochara analis, Grav. Micr. 76 ; H. analis, Er. Gen. 

 et Spec. Staph. 114; Kr. Ins. Deutsh. ii. 256; Wat. 

 Cat.; An hi scha analis, Th. Sk. Col. ii. 293. 



A very abundant and variable species, with thickly 

 punctured abdomen, and peculiarly shaped head. The 

 antenna are rather short, a little thickened towards the 

 apex ; joint three shorter and more slender than two, 

 four much shorter than three, about as broad as long', 

 from this to the tenth the joints differ but little in length, 

 but each one is a little broader than its predecessor, from 

 the sixth onwards each broader than long; eleventh 

 joint -rather large, a little broader than the tenth. The 

 head is a little narrower than the thorax, considerably 

 widened behind the eyes, so as to make it somewhat 

 triangular, the upper surface moderately convex, very 

 finely and indistinctly punctured. The thorax is but 

 little narrower than the elytra, one-third broader than 

 long, the sides but little rounded, and scarcely narrowed 

 behind, very finely punctured, and with a fovea in front 

 of the scutellum, sometimes with an indistinct central 

 longitudinal channel. The elytra are a little longer than 

 the thorax, finely and closely punctured. Abdomen more 

 or less pale towards the apex, closely and finely punc- 

 tured throughout, and the seventh segment has the 

 posterior margin triangularly eraarginate in the middle. 

 Legs yellowish. 



Varies much in colour ; sometimes the thorax and ely- 

 tra are bright reddish-brown, while at other times the 

 general colour is blackish, with the legs and antennae 

 pitchy. 



A large dark variety occurs, which is often confounded 

 in collections with H. soror; this, besides its colour and 

 size, differs from ordinary H. analis, by having the joints 

 of the antennge longer, the thorax broader, flatter, and 

 more transverse, the elytra longer, and not narrowed at 

 the shoulders, and the emargination of the seventh ab- 

 dominal segment larger. It may possibly prove to be a 

 distinct species, but all the characters mentioned above 

 vary, and after the examination of several hundreds of 

 specimens, I find myself unable to draw any satisfactory 

 line of separation. This large form appears to be com- 

 moner in the North than in the South. 



It is extremely difficult to separate the sexes of IT. a^ialis. 

 Kraatz says that a larger triangular notch of the seventh 



