STAPHYLINID^. 69 



catalogue this species is placed as a variety of L. longulum, and it 

 perhaps ought to be so regarded. Fairmaii^e points out its great resem- 

 blance to this species, bvit says it is larger, more shining, and with 

 evidently longer elytra. 



The species was introduced as British by Dr. Nicholson (Ent. Kecord, 

 xxii. 1910, 159). There are one or two slight errors in his translation 

 of Fairmaire's description : the punctuation of the elytra is said to be 

 finer and closer than that of the thorax, whereas Fairmaire says, " plus 

 fine que celle du corselet et tres peu serree." 



L. dilutum, Er., Kiifer. Mark. Brandbg., i. 509. Of the same shape 

 as L. longuhim, but somewhat larger, entirely brownish, testaceous, 

 with the antennae, palpi, and legs yellowish-red ; head a little larger 

 than in L. longulum, less strongly punctured, with the eyes plainly 

 smaller; elytra, in the typical form, shorter than thorax. In the male 

 the fifth and sixth ventral segments of the abdomen are very feebly 

 channelled, and the sixth is rather broadly and triangularly emarginate 

 at the apex. From L. jxiUidtcm it may be known by its smaller size, 

 and the longer and more parallel-sided head, which is more finely and 

 less diflusely punctured, and is much more narrowly rounded ofl' at the 

 posterior angles of the temples ; the antennae, moreover, are much 

 shorter and thicker, and the abrlomen is much less closely punctured, 

 L. 4^^ mm. 



Loch Ericht, Inverness-shire, and River Truim, Dalwhinnie ; three 

 specimens, 1909, Joy (Ent. Mo. Mag. xlv. (2 Ser. xx.), 268). 



ASTENUS, Steph. 



Astenus, Steph., 111. Brit., v. 275 (1832). 



&\i7iius, Er., Kaf. Mark. Brandeburg, i. 523 (1839). 



A. (Sunius) lyonessius, Joy (Ent. Mo. Mag. xliv. (2 Ser. xix.), 

 1908, 177). Closely allied to ^4. angicstatus, Payk. (of which Joy at first 

 believed it to be a variety), but slightly smaller, with the elytra shorter 

 and distinctly narrower in proportion to the thorax (the insect is 

 winged), and the punctuation closer and more rugose, so that they are 

 duller ; the general colour is distinctly more fuscous, the thorax being 

 sometimes reddish-brown ; the yellow on the elytra is not nearly so 

 bright and is never so sharply defined as in S. angustatus ; the elytra 

 vary in colour from being entirely dirty testaceous to having a narrow 

 border of yellow, the rest of the elytra being fuscous. The commonest 

 form has the elytra dirty testaceous, with a f viscous spot at the scutellum, 

 and one in the middle of the outer margin of each elytron. 



Scilly Islands, Cornwall, apparently not uncommon (Joy) ; Sandown, 

 Isle of Wight (Donisthorpe). 



This is evidently a good species and not a variety. Although the 

 insect appears to be fairly common in the Scilly Islands, not a single 

 specimen of *S'. angustatus was found in company with it. 



