.] I.AMELLICOKN1A. 31 



punctured behind, rugose in front, antennae yellow with blackish club, 

 palpi black ; thorax extremely finely punctured with large punctures 

 intermingled, which in the male are very sparing on disc and thicker at 

 base and sides, and in the female are more thickly scattered throughout ; 

 scutellum rather large, almost smooth behind ; elytra with rather shallow 

 " striae, interstices finely punctured ; legs brownish- testaceous. 

 L 4-6 mm. 



Male shorter, subdepressed, elytra clothed with grey pubescence, 

 metasternum with a glabrous impression ; female oblong, subcylindrical, 

 elytra very finely pubescent at apex. 



In dung; common and generally distributed throughout the kingdom ; one of the 



commonest of our species of Aphodiu*. 



A. prodromua, Erahm. ( ? sphacelatus, Panz.; Melinopterus pro- 

 dromuSf Muls.). Very closely allied to the preceding in colour and 

 general appearance, but differs in the following particulars : average size 

 lar. er ; head longer without a trace, or scarcely a visible trace of frontal 

 tubercles ; disc of thorax in male almost impunctate ; sides of thorax, as 

 a rule, rather more broadly testaceous ; elytra with the interstices f.nely 

 and thickly punctured on each side, with the space between almost 

 smooth ; the spur of the anterior tibiae is blunt at apex in male and 

 pointed in female, whereas in A . punctato-svlcatus it is sharp in both 

 sexes ; one of the best characters appears to be in the sculpture of the 

 elytra. L. 4|-7 mm. 



In dung ; not so abundant as the preceding, but common and generally distributed 

 throughout the kingdom. 



A. contaminatus, Herbst. Oblong, convex, somewhat depressed 

 on disc, head and thorax black with an aeneous reflection, very shining, 

 anterior angles and usually sides of latter of a reddish or yellowish- 

 pitchy colour; antennae black with the two first joints brownish- yellow, 

 palpi yellow with last or last two joints brown ; elytra of an obscure 

 dirty testaceous colour, strongly pubescent, with fuscous markings, 

 which are somewhat irregular, but usually take the form of longitudinal 

 patches, more or less confluent, on the interstices ; head flat with frontal 

 tubercles obsolete, distinctly punctured, reddish in front in most cases ; 

 thorax suborbicular, only a little shorter than broad, with the disc 

 sparingly and finely, and the sides more thickly and strongly, punctured, 

 and the sides set with long outstanding hairs (a character that will 

 easily distinguish the species) ; scutellum smooth ; elytra with rather 

 distinct punctured striae, interstices rather plainly punctured, especially 

 at sides ; legs yellowish -brown or brownish-testaceous with knees darker. 

 L. 5-6^ mm. 



Male with the thorax larger, the elytra more strongly pubescent, and 

 the metasternum slightly impressed in middle ; anterior tibiae with apical 

 spur rather stout and obliquely truncate at apex. 



In dung; generally distributed throughout the kingdom, and luually common ; it 



