138 CLAVICORNIA. [Ptenidium. 



silvery hairs, entire upper surface impressed with large deep punctures, 

 which are smaller and more remote on the head, and placed more closely 

 together on the thorax than on the elytra, where they are distinctly 

 arranged in longitudinal rows ; head rather small, eyes prominent, 

 antennae long and slender, pitchy ; thorax short, with sides rounded and 

 strongly margined, broadest at middle ; scutellum large, with a deep 

 puncture on each side at base ; elytra rather narrow, with sides 

 moderately rounded, distinctly margined, apices very obtuse, lighter ; 

 legs long and slender, pitchy ; under-side glabrous, pitchy, with the 

 mouth, coxae, and apex of abdomen, lighter. L. % mm. 



Uuiler seaweed on the sea-coast ; sometimes iu profusion in warm days in spring, 

 flying and settling on the low rocks and shingle; locally common; Whitstable ; 

 Bognor ; Kingsgate ; Slioreliavn ; Littlehampton ; Isle of Wight, Ventnor, in pro- 

 fusion in April; Chesil Beach; JMmouth; Fowey; Plymouth; Starcross ; Liver- 

 pool district ; Northumberland and Durham district ; Scotland, Clyde district ; 

 Ireland, near Dublin. 



P. fuscicorne, Er. (picipes, Matth.). Ovate, very convex and 

 shining, black, sparingly clothed with silvery hairs; head large, im- 

 pressed with two large punctures on each side, eyes large, prominent, 

 antennae rather long and slender, pitchy; thorax moderate, dilated 

 behind, broadest behind middle, and contracted just before base, with 

 large remote punctures irregularly scattered over disc ; scutellum large 

 and very broad, with a large puncture at base ; elytra rather short, 

 ovate, remotely and rather feebly punctured, apex lighter ; legs long, 

 pitchy, rarely yellow. L. |- mm. 



Marshy places ; in moss and at roots of grass ; local but not uncommon where it 

 occurs ; Lee ; Caterham ; Eltliam ; Gmnley, Leicestershire ; Parkhurst Forest ^Isle 

 of Wight), in nests of F. rufa (J. J. Walker). 



P. nitidum, Heer. (pusillum, Er.). The smallest of our species ; 

 ovate, strongly convex, deep black, very shining, very sparingly clothed 

 with extremely short silvery hairs ; head large, rather prominent, eyes 

 large, prominent, antennae yellow, with the two apical joints more or 

 less fuscous ; thorax moderate, with sides strongly dilated and rounded, 

 broadest a little behind middle, impunctate, with four large foveas at 

 base, and two small foveaa near anterior margin ; scutellum with large 

 punctures ; elytra ovate, broadest near shoulders and strongly narrowed 

 to apex which is lighter, finely and remotely punctured in rows ; legs 

 long and slender, clear yellow ; under-side shining black with coxa} 

 yellow. L. vix f mm. 



In moss, vegetable refuse, dung -heaps, &c., also by sweeping ; common and gene- 

 rally distributed. ; 



The very small size of this species will at once distinguish it from 

 our other commoner species. 



P. leevig-atum, Gyll. Closely allied to P. nitidum, but distinguished 

 by its somewhat greater size, much larger head (which has three largo 



