Onthopliilm.] CLAVICORNU. 217 



O. globulosus, 01. (sulcatns, F.). Oval, suborbicular, black, slightly 

 sinning ; head small, antennae comparatively long and slender, reddish- 

 brown, forehead concave ; thorax with a central keel, which is doable 

 and interrupted, and two others on each side, abbreviated in front, the 

 interval between them being filled with large coarse punctures ; elytra 

 very convex, narrowed at apex, with suture raised, and three strong keels 

 on each, the intervals between these being each filled with five slightly 

 raised lines, of which the central is the most distinct ; legs pitchy- 

 brown, rather long and slender ; pygidium plainly punctured. L. 3-3^- 

 mm. 



In dung, decaying vegetable refuse, &c. ; apparently very rare ; I have not heard 

 of its having been taken in Britain for many years ; Stephens records it from Coombe 

 Wood (Surrey), Nottinghamshire, Norfolk, and Kingsbridge (Devon). 



O. striatus, F. Much smaller than the preceding, and easily dis- 

 tinguished by having six distinct raised keels on thorax, the intervals 

 between which are longitudinally wrinkled ; the space between the outer- 

 most keel and the margin is rugosely punctured ; each of the elytra is 

 furnished with three strong raised keels, and three rather smaller ones, 

 so that there appear to be six on each, and the spaces between are filled 

 with small raised lines, aud are remotely and coarsely punctured in single 

 rows ; pygidium and propygidiuni with raised lines, closely punctured. 

 L. lf-2|- mm. 



In dnng, haystack, and vegetable refuse, birds' nests, &c. ; common and generally 

 distributed in England and Scotland ; Ireland, near Dublin, Waterford, Belfast, &c., 

 and probably common. 



MICROPEPLIDJE, 



The position of this family has been much disputed ; it has usually 

 been placed at the end of the Staphylinidae, but seems to present but 

 little affinity to that family ; Thomson places it between the Byturidse 

 and the Dermestidse, which hardly seems a good position ; as a matter 

 of fact the true affinities of the family are by no means known, but the 

 position here assigned to it between Ontliophilus on the one hand, and 

 the Mtidulidce on the other (to certain members of which latter family 

 the species bear a considerable resemblance), seems as good a one as can 

 be assigned to it in the present state of our knowledge ; the family in- 

 cludes two genera, Micropeplus and Kalissus, the former of which has 

 the thorax, elytra, and abdomen strongly costate, whereas the latter is 

 smooth and not costate ; in both genera the antennae are apparently 9- 

 jointed and the tarsi 3-jointed, and the anterior coxae are transverse and 

 not prominent ; the second ventral segment is dilated in the middle and 

 separates the hind coxse. 



BXXCXlOPXIPZiUS, Latrcille. 

 This genus contains rather more than twenty species, which are found 



