iMg. /. 



Mr. A. Murray's Momgraph of the genus Catops. 135 



laud, France, Germany, and most of Europe. Kraatz says that it 

 is seldom or never found under leaves or fungi, but in cellars, 

 stables, potato-licaps, &c. Fairmaire and Laboulbene mention 

 it as having been also takcu in moss at the roots of trees. 

 Stephens gives " carcases '' as its habitat, and rightly enough 

 so far as regards the species he has under this name (viz. a pale 

 variety of c/iri/someloides), but incorrectly as regards the true 

 fiiscus. It is, however, easy to predicate of each species by a 

 simple inspection of its antennai vvliether it is a carcase-feeder 

 or not. Those species with filiform or slightly thickened an- 

 tennae are found among leaves and moss, &c. Those with heavy, 

 thick, clubbed antenna3 are found under dead birds or small 

 mammals. In other words, those which have to seek out pu- 

 trescent matter for their food, or a nidus for their eggs, are fur- 

 nished with largely developed antennae to enable them to smell 

 it out. 



8. C. meridionalis, Aube. 



C, meridionalis, Aiibe, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. viii. 326. 34. 1. 11. f. 2; Kraatz, 

 Stett. Ent. Zeit. xiii. 428. 10. 



Ovatus, convexiusculus, piceus ; antennis pedi- 

 busque ferrugineis; thoracis angulis posticis 

 valde productis; elytris oblongiusculis, stria- 

 tulis. 



I/ong. 2| lin. 



Pitchy-brown ; in general appearance occupy- 

 ing'the middle between /msc«<5, Panz., and picipes, 

 Fab. Head black and finely punctate. Antennae 

 and palpi ferruginous ; antennae of the length of 

 the head and thorax, only feebly thickened to- 

 wards the point ; first joint equal in length to the 

 third, and nearly twice as long as the second ; fourth equal to 

 the fifth, also to the sixth, and somewhat shorter than the 

 third ; seventh equal to the second, yet somewhat stronger than 

 those on each side of it; eighth scarcely half so long as the 

 seventh, scarcely more slender, somewhat shorter than the ninth ; 

 tenth equal to the ninth; eleventh acuminate. The thorax is 

 jjitchy-brown, moderately convex, transverse, of the breadth of 

 the elytra, once and a half as broad as long, emarginate in front, 

 cut almost straight behind, where it is broadest ; the sides are 

 broadly rounded ; the anterior angles depressed and rounded, 

 //le posterior projecting behind and ovmewhot acute. Scutellum 

 tolerably large, finely punctate and reticulate. Elytra brown, 

 oblong oval, nearly twice as long as broad, finely punctate and 

 reticuhite, and marked on each side of the suture with a suffi- 

 ciently distinct stria, and with several others on the disk much 

 jess perceptible, particularly in front. Legs ferruginous. 



