Malthodes.] BERRICORNIA. 153 



thorax double as broad as long, shining black, with the anterior angles, 

 and to a lessor degree the posterior angles, elevated and somewhat pro- 

 minent, with three impressed foveffi, one on disc and two near anterior 

 angles ; elytra broader than thorax, about two and a half times as long 

 as together broad, rather plainly and rugosely punctured ; under-side 

 black; legs lighter or darker pitchy brown, with the tibiae and tarsi a 

 little lighter, and the knees light brownish-yellow. L. 2-2 mm. 



Male with the head narrower than in female; dorsal segments of 

 abdomen elongate, reaching beyond the ventral segments, the last nar- 

 rowed; penultimate ventral segment deeply but narrowly incised, last 

 segment forming a short and straight, slender and shining style, which 

 is suddenly dilated and split into a fork at apex. 



By beating and sweeping ; apparently very rare ; it was first introduced somewhat 

 doubtfully by Mr. Crotch on two female specimens, and specimens taken by Dr. 

 Power at Mickleham and Purley oaks have been referred to it, bnt one of those now 

 before me does not appear to differ from M. atomus ; Mr. Blatch records it from 

 Church Stretton, Cheshire. 



M. atomus, Thorns, (brevicollis, Payk. et Kies., nee Thorns.). 

 This species may at once be known by its very small size, and by its 

 colour, which is greyish-black with the posterior margin of thorax and 

 the apex of the elytra of a dirty yellowish-testaceous colour ; the head 

 with eyes is a little broader than thorax ; antennae rather stout, not 

 reaching apex of elytra, brownish or blackish ; thorax more than double 

 as broad as long, uneven, with all the angles somewhat prominent ; 

 elytra about two and a half times as long as together broad, scarcely 

 covering half the abdomen, finely punctured, alutaceous, somewhat 

 transparent; under-side greyish-yellow or greyish-brown ; legs fuscous 

 or fuscous yellow. L. 1-1 5 mm. 



Male with the last dorsal segments of abdomen elongate, the last 

 deeply cleft, with the lobes filiform; penultimate ventral segment 

 roundly emarginate, produced on each side into an elongate lobe, which 

 is sharp at apex, the last forming a thin strongly curved style, which is 

 forked at apex. 



Female with the head rather narrower than in male, and the antennae 

 almost mouiliform, and the last ventral segment of abdomen incised in 

 the middle. 



By beating and sweeping in and near woods ; local, bat not uncommon where it 

 occurs ; London district, rather common and generally distributed ; Mr. T. Wood 

 records it as taken at Dulwich by night sweeping only ; Glanvilles Wootton ; New 

 Forest ; Devon ; Chat Moss (on sallows) ; Northumberland and Durham district, 

 rare; Scotland, local, Solway, Tweed, Dee, and probably the intervening districts; 

 Ireland, Portmarnock and near Belfast. I know of no record from the Midland 

 counties of England, or from Wales ; the insect is, however, in all probability, often 

 passed over. 



This species, as Thomson observes, is distinguished from all the others 

 by its small size and the almost moniliform antennae of the female, and 



