62 STAPHYLINID^. 



P. varians, Payk.,Mon. Staph. 45; var. agilis, Grav., Mon. 77. 

 I have before (Brit. Col. ii., 273) said with regard to P. agilis that it 

 comes exceedingly close to P. varians and might be mistaken for a 

 rather small and narrow variety of that species ; in the European Cata- 

 logue (1906) it is placed rightly, I believe, as a variety of P. varians. 



GABRIUS, Stephens. 



This genus is well distinguished by the tarsi being simple in both 

 sexes, by the shape of the labial palpi, of which the last joint is evidently 

 more slender than the preceding and somewhat subulate, and especially 

 by the shape of the a-deagus, which apparently consists of a single lobe, 

 but the inferior lobe forms a Y-like furca closely ap]ilied to the basal 

 part of the superior lobe ; this character, which has been worked out 

 by Dr. Sharp, distinguishes the genus of itself, for in Philonthus proper 

 the inferior lobe never forms a furca ; it is, moreover, very variable in 

 the genus (although quite constant in the separate species) and aftbrds 

 a very good character for the determination of the species. Dr. Sharp 

 tells me that he has dissected over one hundred specimens of P. nigri- 

 tulus and that there is no variation. 



Philonthus thermarxmi., Aube, has been wrongly included in the genus 

 Gahrius by Mulsant and Rey, Ganglbauer and others ; it has the tarsi 

 dilated slightly even in the female. Our species are G. astutus, Er., 

 vernalis, Grav., splendidulus,Gva,v., nigritulus, Gra.v., trossulus, Nordm., 

 and six new species recently described by Dr. Sharp, viz. : stijjes, velox, 

 pennatus, hishojn, key sianus, send apjjendiculatus. The group is certainly 

 a very difficult one, but there can be no doubt that these are all distinct 

 species, especially if the characters of the sedeagus are studied ; these 

 are noticed below, except in the case of the three first mentioned species ; 

 of these G. astutus has the appendage very long and slender, almost as 

 long as the rest of the sedeagus, gradually tapering from base until a 

 little before apex, where it is parallel-sided ; viewed laterally it is 

 slightly curved and resembles a long bird's beak ; in G. vernalis the 

 appendage is long, slender and pointed ; in G. splendidtdics, it is more 

 closely allied to the G. nigy-itulus group, but is extended further behind 

 the duct-exit and terminates in a larger and more developed apical 

 portion ; laterally the whole appendage roughlj'^ resembles in outline 

 the head and neck of a goose. 



The following table will serve to distinguish the species ; the 

 greater part of it (from G. trossulus onwards) has been kindly drawn up 

 for me by Dr. Joy, assisted by Dr. Sharp. 



I, Dorsal series of thorax each consisting 

 of five punctures, 

 i. Elytra shorter than thorax ; size 



larger. L. 6-7 mm. . . . G. vernalis, Grrav. 



ii. Elytra longer than or at least as long 



as thorax, size smaller. L. 5-5J mm. G. splendidulus, Grav, 



