374 cLAVicoRfliA. [Qevryssus. 



the greater part of these inhabit the Mediterranean region, but one or 

 two have been described from Tropical Asia, and also from North 

 America and Australia ; several of Motschnlsky's spi-cies recorded in 

 the Munich catalogue appear now to be considered identical with G. 

 pygmceus. 



G 1 . pygrmaeus, F. (crenulatus, Rossi). Short, convex, subglobose, 

 shining black, glabrous ; head large, granulate, antennse short, pitchy 

 with base reddish ; thorax narrower than elytra, almost as long as broad, 

 very convex, narrowed in front, smooth behind, but strongly granulate in 

 front, with a central furrow which is abbreviated behind ; elytra with a 

 tubercle at shoulder, and with rows of very coarse punctures ; under-side 

 granulate, with the first segment of abdomen comparatively smooth ; legs 

 black, tarsi short. L. lf-l mm. 



On the banks of streams, in damp places under cliffs, in fens, &c. ; local ; London 

 district (Stephens); Norfolk; Suffolk; Quy Fen and Wick en Fen; Isle of Wight ; 

 Swanage; Lyme Rej^isj Swansea; banks of Bollin, Cheshire; Bewdley ; Ripon ; 

 Bridlington ; Scarborough ; Crosby, Liverpool ; Manchester district, general ; 

 Northumberland district, common ; Scotland, local, Solvvay and Forth district*. 



As a rule this family is regarded as comprising both Parnus arid Elmis 

 and their respective allies, as well as Psephenus and Lara, which in 

 several points differ from both, but at the same time form connecting 

 links without which it would be hardly possible to avoid following 

 Thomson and others in considering the Parnidse and Elmidae as separate 

 families ; the following are the chief characteristics of the family : head 

 usually retractile, mandibles small, antennse variable either filiform and 

 moderately long as in Elmis, or very short with the second joint dilated 

 and ear : shaped, as in Parnus ; anterior coxal cavities open behind ; 

 prosternum prolonged behind the coxae ; anterior coxae variable ; legs 

 slender usually long, tarsi 5-jointed, joints 1-4 equal, short, fifth very 

 long, claws strong ; abdomen with five ventral segments in the European 

 genera ; the family contains nineteen genera and one hundred and eleven 

 species, according to the Munich catalogue, but this number has been 

 considerably increased by the researches of Mr. Champion and others ; 

 the species are widely distributed, but seem most abundant in Central 

 America and countries adjacent ; twelve genera occur in Europe, repre- 

 sented by about fifty species ; of these five genera and fourteen or 

 fifteen species are found in Britain ; these fall naturally under the 

 following tribes : 



I. Antennse, as a rule, filiform, more or less elongate,* with the second 



joint not dilated ; anterior coxee rounded, without trochantin . . ELMINA. 

 II. Antenna) very short, irregular, with the second joint dilated ; 



anterior coxa) transverse, with trochantiu ......... PABNINA. 



* In Macronychut the antennse are very short. 



