58 STAPHYLINID^. 



profit nothing by lying still, the mole using its nose and not its eyes 

 for discovering its prey, whereas birds would see a moving insect at once. 

 The following table is given by Dr. Joy (I.e. p. 201), who has pur- 

 posely left out the characters derived from the punctures on the thorax 

 as being unreliable in this group ; this we have already pointed out 

 under Q. variabilis : 



I. Penultimate joints of antennae hardly 

 transverse ; last dorsal segment of ab- 

 domen entirely reddish yellow . . Q, fulgidus, F. 



II. Penultimate joints of the antennse 

 strongly transverse ; last dorsal segment 

 of abdomen with never more than the 

 apical margin yellowish. 



i. Hind body diii'usely punctvired, elytra 

 bright red, legs black, average size 

 smaller ...... Q. puncticollis. Thorns. 



ii. Hind body closely punctured, elytra dull 

 red, legs reddish, average size larger. 



1. Head transverse even in $ , eyes larger, 



shape fusiform, average size larger . Q, brevicornis. Thorns. 



2. Head, even in well-developed ^ S ,&s 

 long as broad, eyes smaller, shape more 



parallel-sided, average size smaller , Q. talparum, Deville. 



Q. cruentus, 01., Ent. iii. 42, 27, var. virens, Rottbg. (Berl. Entr 

 Zeitschr. 1870, 29). This variety has the elytra black, often with a 

 greenish reflection, and is reddish at the suture and often at the sides 

 also. 



Ireland, Antrim (Murlough Bay) and Armagh (Loughgilly) (Irish 

 List, 1902, 044); Basingstoke (Dollman), Torquay (Donisthorpe), 

 Birkdale, rather common (Chaster and 8opp), Ballycastle (Tomlin), 

 New Forest (Walker), Bovey Tracy (Keys). 



Q. hammiauus, Sharp (Ent. Mo. Mag. xlvii. (2 Ser. xxii.), 1911, 

 57). This species is closely allied to Q. molochinus, Grav., but is larger, 

 distinctly broader, and of more clumsy appearance. Q. molochimis is a 

 very neatly formed insect. The elytra are slightly longer ; the wings 

 are 7 mm. long and pointed, and sub-truncate at the extreme apex, 

 whereas in Q. molochinus they are 4^ mm. long and very obtuse. There 

 are also difi'erences in the aedeagus of the male. The species appears to 

 be quite distinct. L. 15 mm. 



Deal, Strood, Lymington and Hayling Island (Sharp) ; Portland, 

 Chatham, and I. of Sheppey (Walker) ; St. Helens, I. of W. (Holland) ; 

 Bembridge, I. of W. (Donisthorpe). It is a salt-marsh species. 

 I once found it in great profusion under stones, ifec, in a salt marsh, 

 but only took a few specimens, and cannot remember the exact 

 locality : I believe, however, that it was in Wales, not far from Borth 

 or Aberyetwith. 



