//7/f/SvrM'M.] LAMKI.I.H'OKNIA. 37 



RHYSSEMUS, Mulsant. 



This genus contains about fifteen species, of which eight occur in 

 Europe, and the rest have been recorded from North America, Ceylon, 

 Ninth Africa, Madagascar, <tc. ; they are very clo^-ly Jilliccl to 

 Psammobiux, but are distinguished by the structure of the hind tarsi and 

 the granulation of the interstices of the elytra ; as in the last-mentioned 

 the head is asperate, and the thorax sulcate. 



XL. grermanus, L. (Paantmobius asper, Steph.). About the size of 

 Ojcyomus porcafus, and of the same shape, fuscous black, dull, antenna? 

 iinl jalpi reddish-yellow; head thickly and finely granulate; thorax 

 short, convex, with four or five transverse furrows, dividing four trans- 

 verse elevated costa?, the two posterior of which are sinuated and inter- 

 rupted in middle ; elytra elongate, punctate-striate, with the interstices 

 granulate in two rows ; legs reddish-brown. L. 2-2^ mm. 



Male with the metasternum impressed with a deep roundish impression 

 in middle. 



Under rotting vegetable matter, and at roots of decaying plants ; very rare, and 

 doubtful as British; sandy coasts near Bristol (Stephens); said by Curtis to have 

 bee:i taken near Swansea ; I know of no recent captures. 



PSAMBXOBZUS, II- r. 



This genus contains about five-and-twenty species, of which fifteen 

 are found in Europe ; the others are widely distributed, species having 

 been recorded from North and South Africa, Arabia, Ceylon, Java, Cuba, 

 North America, &c.; they are distinguished from all our other allied genera 

 except Rhyssemus by their deeply and transversely sulcate thorax. 



I. Thorax without lateral or basal setae; first joint of pos- 

 terior tarsi longer than exterior apical spur of tibiae ; tarsi 



longer, with claws of the usual size P. C.KSUS, Fanz. 



II. Thorax with a fringe of clavnte seta; nt base and sides; 

 first joint of posterior tarsi shorter than exterior apical 



spur of tibiae ; tarsi shorter, with claws small and weak. 

 i. Size smaller and narrower; striae of elytra rather finely 



punctured P. SULCICOLLIS, ///. 



ii. Sire larger and broader, stria; of elytra broader and 



more coarsely punctured P. PORCICOLLIS, ///. 



P. caesus, Panz. (Pleurophorue cii-ws, Muls.). Elongate, narrow, 

 subcylindrical, parallel-sided, pitchy black, shining, with the antenna? 

 n-dilish ; head thickly wrinkled and granulate; thorax as broad as 

 elytra, not narrowed in front, sparingly and very strongly punctured, 

 with a fine central furrow, abbreviated in front, and two feeble transverse 

 furrows on each side, one just behind the anterior margin and the other 

 in th- middlf ; elytra with strong and crcnate striae, interstices flat and 



