266 Dr. Sharp's Revision of the 



An obscurely coloured species, distinctly narrowed both 

 before and behind, and with the thorax largely developed 

 in proportion to the elytra. The antennae are yellowish, 

 scarcely at all thickened towards the apex, finely but dis- 

 tinctly pilose ; joints two and three moderately long, of 

 about equal length, four not so long as five, longer than 

 broad, five to ten differing but little from one another in 

 length or breadth; in the type, the length of each joint 

 is greater than its breadth, while in the var. dubia, the 

 penultimate joint is scarcely so long as broad; the eleventh 

 joint is rather long, gently pointed, as long as the two 

 preceding together. The head is small, much narrower 

 than the thorax, rounded, finely and indistinctly punc- 

 tured ; the palpi are dirty yellow. The thorax is as broad 

 as (almost broader than) the elytra, half as broad again as 

 long, transversely convex, the sides rounded, narrower 

 at the anterior than at the posterior angles, finely but not 

 closely punctured, with or without an obscure central 

 longitudinal channel, with a few short, indistinct, exserted 

 setse at the sides. The elytra are but little longer than 

 the thorax, blackish or pitchy-black, pretty closely and 

 distinctly but shallowly punctured, the apex on each side 

 sinuate at the external angles. The abdomen is black 

 and rather shining; segments two to four distinctly and 

 pretty closely punctured, fifth segment a little more fine- 

 ly and sparingly, sixth segment sparingly punctured ; the 

 outstanding sette of the sides and apex are distinct and 

 numerous. Legs yellow, posterior tibiee without exserted 

 setse. 



The male is only to be distinguished from the female, 

 by the narrower and more produced apical part of the 

 ventral plate of the seventh abdominal segment. 



Very common all over the country, in moss and dead 

 leaves. 



Ohs. — The var. duhia has shorter antennte and thorax, 

 and on this account, I formerly considered it a variety of 

 H. clientula, but in colour and punctuation it agrees better 

 with H. fungi. It is more abundant than the type. 



154. Homalota clientula. 



Nigra, sat nitida, antennis pedibusque testaceis, elytris 

 anoque ferrugineis ; thorace transverse ; abdomine supra 

 segmentis 2-4 crebre, 5° et 6° parcius punctatis. Long. 

 1 lin. 



