I I f i.A\ ICORMA. \_NccroplwfUS. 



once distinguish it from all our allied species ; thorax without pubescence ; 

 abdomen with dark pubescence except at apex, which is furnished witli 

 a tuft of yellowish hairs, posterior tibiaj straight ; anterior tarsi dilated 

 in male; the size is very variable, some specimens being very small. 

 L. 10-15 mm. 



In carcases, decaying fungi, &c.; rather local in some districts, but, as a rule, 

 common and generally distributed in England and Scotland, and probably iu 

 Ireland. 



N. vestigrator, Hersch. Black, with two orange bands on the elytra ; 

 club of an tenure orange-red : thorax considerably dilated in front, with 

 long yellow hairs on all the margins, which are also present to a less 

 extent on the head; the abdomen and femora are also covered with 

 yellow pubescence : it most closely resembles N. vespillo, but is easily 

 distinguished from that species by the straight posterior tibiae, and the 

 emarginate posterior trochanters which terminate in two short spines. 

 L. 16-18 mm. 



In carcases, &c.; not common; London district, Battersea Fields (Stephens), 

 Wey bridge ; Deal ; Dawlish, Devon ; Cromer, Norfolk ; not recorded from the 

 northern districts of England, or from Scotland; Ireland, near Belfast (Haliday). 



N. ruspator, Er. (investigator, Zett). Black, elytra with two 

 orange bands, the anterior of which is not interrupted at suture, but is 

 continued in common across their whole breadth ; the black band between 

 the two is more regular and less dentate than in the other species ; 

 thorax without pubescence ; abdomen with scanty, dark pubescence, 

 except for a yellowish tuft of hair at the apex ; posterior tibia? straight, 

 posterior trochanters emarginate at apex ; male with the anterior tarsi 

 strongly dilated, and furnished as in the allied species with yellow 

 brush-like hairs beneath. L. 15-18 mm. 



In carcases, &c. ; local ; Shirley, Mickleham, Weybridge, Shipley near Horsham ; 

 Hastings; Devon; common in the Midlands; Manchester and Liverpool districts; 

 Northumberland and Durham ; Scotland, common, Solvvay, Forth, Tay, and probably 

 other districts ; Ireland, near Dublin, Waterford, &c. 



V. Microcephalns, Thorns. This variety differs from the type in 

 having a very small more or less triangular head ; the apex of the pos- 

 terior trochanters, which are recurved in the type form, are straight, and 

 the clypeus is only feebly- emarginate ; the specimens appear to be males : 

 it has occurred at Wey bridge and other localities. 



N. interruptus, Steph. (fossor, Er.). This species is closely allied 

 to the preceding, but may be distinguished by having the anterior band 

 interrupted more or less broadly at suture, and by the distinct yellowish 

 or yellowish-grey pubescence of the abdomen ; the club of the antenna) is 

 orange-yellow, the thorax is not pubescent, and the posterior tibiae are 

 straight; the posterior trochanters are obscurely emarginate at apex. 

 L. 12-18 mm. 



