Atomaria.] OLAVICORNIA. 335 



elytra almost parallel-sided with sides slightly rounded, rather finely 

 punctured, but less closely than thorax ; legs lighter or darker testaceous 

 or reddish. L. 1|-1| mm. 



Usually found on Scotch fir, especially in the dead branches ; occasionally by 

 sweeping; rare; Esher (Champion); Gravesend (Power); Dover (Hall); Dean 

 Forest (Blatch) ; Scotland, rare, Highlands, Dee district, Braemar. 



This species is perhaps most closely allied to A. elongatula, but is of a 

 lighter colour (nearly all the specimens I have seen are more or less 

 testaceous), and has broader and more strongly punctured elytra ; the 

 thorax, too, is narrower in proportion to the elytra, and has the basal 

 depression much more marked. 



SECTION II. 



The two species contained in this section are distinguished from the 

 preceding by their rather shorter form, and by having the antennae 

 somewhat more removed from one another at their insertion ; from the 

 following section they may be separated by their somewhat more depressed 

 and less convex form and more obtuse posterior angles of thorax ; from 

 most of the species that follow they differ in not having the margin of 

 the thorax raised in the middle. 



I. Antenna) and legs black or pitchy-black A. FFSCIPES, Gyll. 



II. Antennse reddish, legs reddish or reddish-brown .... A. PELTATA, Kr. 



A. fuscipes, Gyll. (concolor, Maerk). Oblong, rather shining, 

 clothed with fine and short greyish pubescence, entirely black (with the 

 apex of elytra sometimes obscurely brownish) ; antennae moderate, black ; 

 thorax transverse, with basal and apical margins equal in breadth, sides 

 rather strongly rounded, transverse basal impression continued almost to 

 sides, basal margin not raised, finely and closely punctured ; elytra de- 

 pressed on disc, with sides almost parallel, finely punctured ; legs black 

 or pitchy-black. L. 1-1 1 mm. 



In haystack refuse, manure-heaps, &o. ; also in heaps of sea-weed near the coast ; 

 often by sweeping ; generally distributed throughout England and Scotland, but 

 apparently much rarer in the counties that do not border on the sea ; in fact, it 

 hardly appears to be recorded from more than one or two Midland localities. Mr. 

 Haliday records it from Ireland. Mr. Wollaston mentions that he has brushed it 

 " in immense profusion" from off the grass at the edges of the cliffs at Bridlington 

 and Flamborough in Yorkshire. 



The totally black colour of this insect, the legs and antennae also being 

 black or pitchy-black, will at once distinguish it from all its allies. 



A. peltata, Kr. Oblong, moderately shining, black or pitchy-black 

 with the elytra fading off towards apex into a more or less bright chestnut 

 colour, pubescence grey, fine and rather close ; antennae ferruginous ; 

 thorax transverse with sides strongly rounded and much dilated in 

 middle, base truncate, with a strong transverse depression, finely mar- 



