HISTERID^:. 109 



recurved horny sharp points upon the terminal segment of the body. 

 The pupa is very much elongated, with two short obtuse points at its 

 extremity. 



HISTERID^. 



HISTER, Linne. 



H. quadrimaculatus, L., var. gagates. 111. (Mag. fUr Insetten- 

 kunde, vi., 1807, 31) ; Donisthorpe (Ent. Record, xi., 181)9, 217). This 

 is a totally black form of H. quadrimaculatus and difiers from the var. 

 <i',thiops, Heei'.,in having one marginal stria on the elytra, the outer one 

 being entirely absent, whereas in the latter variety there is always a 

 trace of the outer stria. 



Iwade, in flood rubbish (J. J. Walker) ; apparently a very rare 

 variety. 



GNATHONCUS, Duval. 



G. nidicola, Joy (Ent. Ilecord xix. (1907) 133, plate vi.). Black 

 or pitch black, extreme apex of elytra sometimes rufescent ; head 

 closely punctured, frontal stria wanting ; antennse reddish ; thorax 

 somewhat diffusely punctured, more thickly at the sides ; elytra with 

 striae as in G. rotandatus, Kug., diffusely punctured at base, very 

 thickly punctured towards apex, the punctures running together into 

 rows in the apical third, so that this part appears dull and very finely 

 striated longitudinally; anterior tibiae distinctly dilated, with nine to 

 ten small teeth, the spaces between them very slightly emarginate * or 

 nearly flat ; the apical tooth and the next towai^ds the base are separated 

 by a distinctly longer interval than the others ; intermediate tibia? slightly 

 dilated. In the male the sedeagus is almost straight and bent rather 

 sharply at the tip, whereas in G. rotundatios it is strongly and evenly 

 curved throughout. L. lf-2| mm. 



In old birds' nests ; apparently not uncommon. 



Dr. Joy, in introducing and describing this species, says that in 

 G. rotundatus, Kug., which Mr. Lewis {v. Ent. Record, xvi. 290) 

 apparently regards as synonymous with G. punctidatus, Thorns., the 

 front tibise are distinctly narrower than in G. nidicola, and possess 

 large teeth with well marked, strongly emarginate intervals, whereas 

 in the last-named species the teeth are small and the intervals nearly 

 flat. The intermediate tibiaj are less dilated and have conspicuously 

 longer teeth. G. rotandatus has the apex of the elytra shining and 

 diffusely punctured. 



Apparently we do not possess G. nannetensis, Mars, (the G. rotundatus 

 of the old British catalogues) as British. If this is the case, and if we 

 admit G. nidicola as distinct, we still have two species, which may be 

 separated as follows : 



* Dr. Joy in his description uses the term " convex," but this is wrong as the 

 spaces are emarginate between the teeth and not produced. 



