212 CLAVICORNIA. [Saprinus. 



logs black or pitchy-black, with tarsi more or less reddish, anterior tibiae 

 with 6-7 rather blunt teeth. L. 3-4 mm. 



In dung ; occasionally in flowers and on watercress, on which latter plant it has 

 been found devouring the larvae of Pkeedon cochlearice, to which heetle it bears a super- 

 ficial resemblance; rare; Caterham, Forest Hill; Daren th ; Haidstone; Deal; 

 Folkestone; Sandwich; Sandown, Isle of Wight; Buckden, Hunts ; Stephens gives 

 as localities Copenhagen Fields, Battersea, Coombe Wood, Welbeck, sea *.hore near 

 Mursden, Norwich, Newmarket Heath (dead hares), and Swansea. 



S. quadristriatus, Hoff. Oblong, black, sometimes with a dark 

 blue or greenish reflection ; thorax closely punctured, posterior portion 

 of disc smooth ; elytra very closety punctured, dull, with the shoulders and 

 a common -round space towards base smooth and shining ; this space is 

 bounded by the fourth dorsal stria which is fine, and there is no trace of 

 any smooth space outside the stria as in S. immundus ; the other dorsal 

 striae are obsolete ; anterior tibiae with 6-7 teeth, of which the anterior 

 three or four are the strongest. L. 3-3f mm. 



In dung, carcases, &c. ; rare; Barmouth ; Liverpool district (common on the sand- 

 hills) ; YVallasey ; Southport; Blackpool; Lancaster sands; Scotland, rare, Forth 

 district (Paisley). 



S. metallicus, Herbst. The smallest of our species ; short oval, 

 rather convex ; of a dark obscure green metallic colour, rarely brown ; 

 thorax rugosely punctured, with the posterior part of the disc smooth ; 

 elytra with well-marked crenulate striae, rather finely punctured, the 

 punctuation scarcely reaching to middle ; first dorsal stria of elytra 

 almost reaching apex ; legs brown or reddish, anterior tibise strongly 

 dilated, with four large blunt teeth, sometimes with a trace of a fifth. 

 L. 2|-3J mm. 



In dung, carcases, &c. ; confined to sandy places near the coast; rare; Deal; 

 Camber sand-hills, Hastings, not uncommon ; Hunstanton, Norfolk. 



S. rug-ifrons, Payk. (metallicus, Steph.). Larger than the preced- 

 ing, of a rather light greenish metallic colour or black ; antennae and legs 

 pitchy-black or brownish ; -thorax strongly punctured with posterior 

 part of disc smooth ; elytra rather strongly punctured, the punctuation 

 reaching beyond middle, anterior tibiae moderately dilated, with six 

 rather sharp teeth which become gradually stronger to apex and are 

 usually of a lighter colour than the tibiae; in this and in other 

 species examples occasionally occur in which the teeth are worn 

 almost flat or partially coalesce, and thus cause confusion ; fifth dorsal 

 stria of elytra abbreviated. L. 3-4 mm. 



In dung, carcase^, &c. ; both inland and on the coast ; local ; Sonthend ; Dovers- 

 court; Harwich; Yarmouth; Deal; Lowestoft ; Bristol; Swansea; Barmouth; 

 Ilunstauton ; New Forest ; Sherwood Forest; South Shields. 



S. maritimus, Steph. (salulosu.*, Fairm.). Larger than the 

 preceding, black, occasionally brownish ; forehead smooth ; thorax 



