32 i. AM,. i u. MK.SU. [Aphodiut. 



was, however, decidedly scarce at Kcpton, near Burton-on-Trent,* aud is probably 

 somewhat local ; it is sometimes exceedingly ubundant and swarms on the Mal- 

 VITII Hills and in many other localities, being exceedingly fond of hovering over and 

 settling near dung on the roads and pathways iu the sunshine. 



A. obllteratus, Panz. (MeUnopterus obliteratus, Muls.). Closely 

 allied to the preceding, but easily distinguished by the absence of long 

 outstanding hairs at sides of thorax, and by the more obscure dark 

 markings on elytra ; oblong, convex, head and thorax shining black, the 

 former reddish in front and the latter with anterior angles and often all 

 the side margins yellowish ; antennae blackish, with the first two joints 

 yellow, palpi reddish-brown, often darker at apex ; thorax finely punc- 

 tured, much more sparingly in male than in female ; scutellum smooth ; 

 elytra finely pubescent, with punctured striae, interstices finely punctured, 

 of a dirty-testaceous colour with more or less obscure cloudy dark 

 markings ; legs testaceous, with knees darker. L. 4-5 mm. 



Male with the thorax larger and the pubescence of elytra longer, and 

 the metasternum impressed ; the apical spur of the anterior tibiae is also 

 thicker. 



In dung ; local, but not uncommon where it occurs ; Birch Wood, Darenth Wood, 

 Caterham, Micklelutm, Addiugton, Tonbridge ; Amberley ; Hastings; Isle of Wight; 

 Bath; Needwood Forest, Staffordshire; Liverpool district; Scotland, rare, Tweed 

 and Forth districts; Ireland, Armagh, rare (Rev. W. F. Johnson). 



A. Zenkeri, Germ. Rather short, oblong, ferruginous with the 

 head and thorax dark on disc and with more or less obscure dark 

 markings before apex of elytra ; the head and thorax are sometimes 

 almost entirely dark with red margins, and sometimes entirely reddish ; 

 antennae and palpi reddish or ferruginous with club of the former some- 

 times a little darker ; head with frontal tubercles, thickly punctured, 

 rugose in front ; thorax very thickly punctured, the punctuation con- 

 sisting of larger and smaller punctures intermingled ; scutellum finely 

 punctured ; elytra with broad, flat, and rather shallow crenate striae, the 

 interstices being smooth and feebly carinate in middle, and depressed 

 and finely punctured on each side ; legs clear ferruginous or brownish-red. 

 L. 3-4 mm. 



Male with the central frontal tubercle more strongly marked, the 

 thorax broader, and the metastemum impressed in middle. 



In dung ; very local and usually rare ; Mickleham ; Sevenoaks ; Addington ; 

 Llangollen ; Witliington, Cheshire; Bretby Pnrk, Derby (Harris, August 1887); the 

 species was first detected as British by Dr. Power, who found it at Mickleham. 



A. luriduB, F. (AcroBsuf luridus, Muls.). Oblong-oval, rather 

 depressed, moderately shining ; antennae and palpi black ; head and 

 thorax black, the former flat, without tubercles, finely punctured, semi- 



* During the several years that I worked this neighbourhood I never remember to 

 have met with a specimen, and my friend the late Mr. W. Garneys records it as 

 scarce in the district ; in fact I used to regard it as one of the better species. 



