254 Dr. Sharp's Revision of the 



Group XXI. — Thorax strongly narrowed to the front; 



abdomen strongly pointed and thickly punctured. 



(Species 143—148) . 



If H. melanaria be excepted, the species herein con- 

 tained form a natural group ; melanaria^ occurs in vege- 

 table refuse ; testudinea, aterrima, and pilosiventris in 

 dung; pygmcea and muscorum, often among moss and 

 leaves. 



143. Homalota melanaria. 



Nigra, opaca, dense subtiliter et sequaliter punctata; 

 antennis sat validis, piceis, pedibus elytrisque testaceis, 

 his circa scutellum infuscatis ; thorace transversim con- 

 vexiusculo, eequali; abdomine apicem versus angustato, 

 dense sequaliter punctato. Long. 1| lin. 



Mas; abdomine segmento 7° dorsali apice obsoletis- 

 sime emarginato, ventrali angusto, producto. 



Fern.; abdomine segmento 7° dorsali apice obsolete, 

 ventrali evidenter, emarginato. 



Aleochara melanaria, Sahl. Ins. Fenn. i. 389; Gopro- 

 thassa melanaria, Th. Sk. Col. iii. 34. H. lividipennis, 

 Er. Gen. et Spec. Staph. 129; Kr. Ins. Deutsch. ii. 311. 

 H. sordida, Wat. Cat. 



A fine large species, with bright yellow elytra, having a 

 triangular black patch about the scutellum. The antennae 

 are rather long and stout, slightly thickened towards the 

 apex, of a pitchy colour; joint three longer than two, 

 four a little broader than three, shorter and narrower 

 than the succeeding ones, slightly transverse, joints five 

 to ten each a little longer and broader than its prede- 

 cessor, each about as long as broad; the eleventh joint 

 is elongate, pointed, longer than the two preceding to- 

 gether. The head is broad and short, much narrower 

 than the thorax, convex above, closely and finely punc- 

 tured. The thorax is, at the base, as broad as the elytra, 

 transversely arched, its breadth fully half as great 

 again as its length, the sides rounded, a little narrower at 

 the anterior than at the posterior angles, closely and 

 finely, very regularly, punctured, with a short dense 

 regular pubescence. The elytra are about a fourth 

 longer than the thorax, of a clear yellow colour, with a 

 triangular black patch about the scutellum, the point of 



