182 SKBRICORNIA. [Ptinidce. 



taceous or brownish-red or dark brown colour, with the thorax roughly 

 sculptured, and furnished with tufts of yellowish hair on disc; the 

 thorax is as long as broad in the male, and broader than long in the 

 female, and has the central furrow distinct; elytra with moderately 

 strongly punctured striae, and rows of rather long setae, and more or less 

 thickly clothed at base with yellowish-grey pubescence ; there are, how- 

 ever, no whitish patches on the elytra as in P. fur, and the antennae in 

 the male are shorter than in that species ; the setae on the elytra are 

 also considerably longer ; the elytra in the male are elongate, and in the 

 female subglobose, as in the allied species; superficially the insect 

 much resembles P. fur. L. 3 mm. 



In old wood, Ac., especially in warehouses ; probably imported ; Bermondsey, 

 Surrey ; Birdbrook and Mickleham (Power) ; Suaallueath and Kuowle, near Bir- 

 mingham (Blatch). 



(P. latro, .F. Closely allied to the preceding, but distinguished by its 

 longer and narrower form and longer thorax, the absence of the yel- 

 lowish-grey pubescence at the base of the elytra, and the shorter rows of 

 setae on the interstices; it is apparently, as a rule, of a lighter colour, 

 and rather larger. L. 3-4 mm. 



In old houses, especially in store-rooms ; two examples in Mr. Water-house's collec- 

 tion, one from old collection with no history, and the other labelled " Scotland, 

 Turner ; " on the authority of these specimens Mr. Waterhouse apparently introduced 

 the species into his catalogue; there is, however, nothing further known of the 

 insect as British. 



NIPTUS, Boieldieu. 



This genus contains about a dozen species, of which nearly all occur 

 in Europe ; one, however, has been described from North America, and 

 one from Algeria; they are distinguished by having the scutellum 

 indistinct, and the fifth joint of the tarsi much longer than the second ; 

 the eyes are very small ; the elytra are more or less globular, and more 

 or less distinctly striated ; the femora are clavate at apex ; some 

 authors divide the genus into several distinct genera, but they hardly 

 seem worthy of generic rank. 



I. Elytra obsoletely stria te N. HOLOLETTCUS, Fold. 



II. Elytra strongly crenate-striate N. CK EN AT us, F. 



V. hololeucus, Fald. Of a pitchy colour, but entirely clothed 

 with thick recumbent silky golden or brownish-golden pubescence, and 

 furnished besides with fine outstanding setae, which are arranged in 

 rows on the elytra ; eyes very small; antennae long and rather slender ; 

 thorax much narrower than elytra, very convex, with the sides rounded, 

 constricted at base ; scutellum indistinct ; elytra globose, narrowed 

 at base ; legs long, femora rather strongly clavate at apex ; tarsi 

 moderately long. L. 8-4 mm. 



In old houses, especially in cupboards ; it is also found in seeds, &c. ; generally 

 distributed and common throughout the greater part of the kingdom ; many years 



