36 LAMELLICOKNFA. 



OXYOMUS, Kaporte. 



The single British species belonging to this genus in its restricted 

 sense may be easily known by its small size and unicolorous black 

 colour, and also by the broad longitudinal furrow at the base of thorax, 

 and the strongly sculptured furrows and interstices of elytra ; it is often 

 found in hotbeds in certain localities. 



O. porcatua, F. (sylrestris, Scop.). Black or fuscous black, dull, 

 rather elongate and subparallel, with the upper surface somewhat de- 

 pressed ; head large, finely and sparingly punctured, antennae and palpi 

 reddish-testaceous ; thorax as broad as elytra with sides almost straight, 

 anterior margin reddish, upper surface strongly and unevenly punctured, 

 with a broad furrow reaching from about middle to base ; elytra with 

 ten strong furrows set with large strong punctures, the interstices being 

 carinate, and the punctures divided by transverse lines ; apex of abdomen 

 and legs reddish-brown. L. 2-2^ mm. 



In the male the metasternum has a shallow longitudinal impression in 

 the middle. 



In vegetable refuse, cut grass, dung-heaps, &c. ; often in hotbeds ; local ; London 

 district, not uncommon ; Hastings; Shirley Warren, Southampton ; Bath ; Swansea ; 

 N'orfolk; Wickeu Fen, Cambridge; Cheshire; Repton, Burton-on-Trent ; Lincoln; 

 Scarborough ; New Brighton ; Crosby, near Liverpool ; it has not apparently been 

 recorded from the extreme northern counties of England or from Scotland. 



AlVllviCECIUS. Hulsant. 



This genus contains about sixteen species, of which twelve are found 

 in Europe, and two have been described from the Cape of Good Hope ; 

 they are distinguished from Aphodius by the fact that the eyes are 

 entirely concealed when the head is retracted, and from Rhyssemus and 

 J y 8ammobiua by not having the thorax transversely costate or sulcate ; 

 only one species is found in Britain. 



A. brevis, Er. (elevatus, Pariz., nee 01.). Obovate, short and broad, 

 considerably dilated behind, very convex, shining black, head large, 

 broadly emarginate in front, finely punctured behind, clypeus somewhat 

 rugose, antennae and palpi red ; thorax rather narrower than elytra, 

 somewhat narrowed in front, with large and coarse scattered punctures 

 which are usually thicker at base and sides ; scutellum rather large ; 

 elytra only double as long as thorax, very convex, raised behind, with 

 very strong crenate stria3, which become deeper behind, interstices 

 smooth ; legs pitch-black with tarsi ferruginous, posterior tarsi with the 

 exterior spur longer than the first joint of the tarsus. L. 3|-4j mm. 



Male with the metasternum slightly impressed in middle. 



In partly dry cow-dung; very local ; first taken by Mr. Haward, in May 1850, on 

 the sand-hills at Southport, Lancashire, and afterwards found abundantly ii: the 

 same locality ; it has, I believe, also occurred in one or two neighbouring localities. 



