OryptopJiagus.~\ CLAVICORNU. 319 



behind, and the lateral tooth situated in the middle of the sides ; elytra 

 finely and thickly and rather regularly punctured, the punctures be- 

 coming feebler at apex ; legs ferruginous. L. 1^ mm. 



Male with the anterior tarsi dilated, anterior tibiae not dilated. 



In haystack refuse, &c., rare ; Plumstead ; St. Peter's, Kent j Yardley and 

 Sutton, near Birmingham ; Northumberland district ; Scotland, scarce, Forth, Tay, 

 and Solway districts. 



This species may be distinguished from its allies by having at least 

 the under-side, and usually the greater part of the upper-side dark ; the 

 thorax sometimes is black or almost black ; it may also be known by 

 its less transverse and subquadrate thorax, the lateral tooth of which is 

 situated in the middle of sides which are not contracted to base, and by 

 having the third joint of the antennae not longer than the second ; in 

 this point it is related to C. distinguendus, to which it bears a strong 

 superficial resemblance ; it may, however, be distinguished from dark 

 forms of that species by its shorter and more convex form, somewhat 

 stronger punctuation, and the more parallel-sided thorax, which has the 

 posterior angles more sharply right-angled. 



C. scanicus, L. Oblong oval, not convex, thickly clothed with 

 short depressed yellowish-grey pubescence ; head, thorax, and antennae 

 ferruginous, elytra black or fuscous-black with the shoulders more or 

 less broadly rufous, the rufous colour sometimes extending some way 

 from base towards apex ; head very thickly punctured, thorax thickly 

 and rather deeply punctured, with the sides rounded and rather strongly 

 contracted behind the lateral tooth which is situated in the middle ; 

 anterior angles strongly callose and produced into a blunt tooth behind ; 

 elytra rather finely but very distinctly punctured, the punctuation be- 

 coming obsolete towards apex ; legs ferruginous. L. 2-2| mm. 



Male with the anterior tarsi slightly dilated. 



In haystack and other vegetable refuse ; often found in houses ; common and 

 generally distributed throughout the kingdom. 



V. patruelis, Sturm. This variety is entirely ferruginous or reddish- 

 testaceous ; it gives rise to considerable confusion, as it closely resembles 

 some of the allied species from which the type form is at once dis- 

 tinguished by its colour ; it may be distinguished by the shape of the 

 thorax, and by having the lateral tooth situated in the centre of the 

 sides ; the sides of the thorax also are more distinctly crenulate ; the 

 punctuation. is stronger than in C. saginatus. which species it most closely 

 resembles. 



Found under the same conditions and in company with the type, but much 

 rarer. 



A variety also occurs in which the elytra are rufous with the suture 

 and external margin nigro-fuscous. 



The anterior angles of the thorax in this species appear to vary some- 



