32 COLEOPTERA. 



parls of Eni^land, that it seems to him quite distinct, and that 

 it appears to occur in ants' nests with X. atratus. Thomson 

 describes it as distinguishable from X. punctulatus by its 

 ferruginous antennae; of which the scape is pitchy black, its 

 fusco-testaceous legs, its head being smooth in the middle 

 and less strongly punctured at the sides, and the testaceous 

 apical margin of its 6th and 7th abdominal segments. He 

 states it to occur abundantly in ants' nests, but does not men- 

 tion any association of it with atratus. 



The ti'ue atratus, accoi'ding to Thomson, is of the same 

 colour altogether as picipes, but almost two sizes larger, and 

 wnth its head more strongly and deeply punctured. He 

 separates it from punctulatus by its rather lai'ger size, the 

 lighter colour of its antennas and legs, and the more rotun- 

 date anterior ancfles of its thorax. 



28. Stenus major, Mulsant, Opusc, 61, 163; D. Sharp, 

 Proc. Ent. Soc, 3 Dec, 1866, Ent. Mo. Mag., vol. 

 iii, 192. 



This fine insect, brought forward at a time when it was 

 impossible to include it in the 1867 '^ Annual," by some mis- 

 take on my part was omitted from that for 1868. A few 

 specimens of it were taken by Dr. Sharp (to whom I am in- 

 debted for a type) near Southend, on the banks of a pond 

 near the Shoeburyness road. It has been detected in Dr. 

 Power's collection, from Wimbledon Common, I believe. 



It is closely allied to S. puhescens, Steph. {sub-impres- 

 sus, Er.), and is about the same size as that species, but 

 looks laiger, being more robustly built. Compared with 

 puhescens, it may readily be known by its wider head, shorter 

 and broader thorax and wider elytra, and especially by its 

 abdomen not being parallel for its greater length and only 



