132 CRYPTOPHAGIDtE. 



Var. argenfeus, Joy. At the meeting of the Entomological Society, 

 held on November 3, 1909, Dr. Joy exhibited specimens of 0. 2)(illidits, 

 which he named var. argenteus, because they differed from the type 

 form in having silvery pubescence, 



MICRAMBE, Tliomson. 



M. villosa, Heer., Faun. Helv. i. 425 (CVyptophagus). 



Paramecosoma pilosula, Er., ISTatui-g. Ins. Deutsch. iii. 373. 



M. villi, Gangl. (ex jxirte), Kilf. Mitt. Europ, iii. 672, 



This species is distinguished from M. vini, Panz., by being, on the 

 average, larger, and by having the pubescence of the elytra with 

 conspicuously longer upright' hairs mixed with the decumbent 

 pubescence. Both these species may be known from M. abietis, Payk., 

 by the fact that the anterior angles of the thorax are more broadly 

 explanate, forming an angular and projecting tooth at the anterior 

 third of the sides of the tlior-ax, which is much narrower immediately 

 behind the tooth. In If. abietis the anterior angles are narrowly 

 explanate, the tooth is small and obtuse, and the thorax is scarcely 

 narrower behind this tooth. L. l|-2 mm. 



A single specimen was beaten ofl" hawthorn at Ohingford, Essex, and 

 since this capture it has been taken at ISTethy Bridge, in Scotland, by 

 Mr. Bishop and Dr. Sharp, and other localities. On the Continent it 

 occurs rarely on Cardunce*. 



Ganglbauer {I.e. 672) includes the species under M. vini, and it is 

 placed as a synonym of this species in the European Catalogue (1906). 

 Newbery, however (Ent, Mo. Mag. xliv. (2 Ser. xix.), 1908, 105), says 

 that G.anglbauer now regards it as distinct. M. abietis occurs on firs, 

 and M. vini on gorse, whereas M. villosa is found on broom, hawthorn, 

 and various thistles. 



PARAMECOSOMA, Curtis. 



P. melanocephalum, Herbst., var. infuscatum, Halbert (Ent. 

 Mo. Mag. xlvi. (2 Ser. xxi.), 1 910, 66). According to Mr. Halbert, the 

 ordinary form of this insect, with the black head and thorax, and 

 chostnut-brown elj'tra, has not been recorded from Ireland. In mature 

 examples of the prevalent Irish form the head, thorax and elytra are 

 black and very shining, the femora and the apical part of the tibite are 

 infuscate, and the general punctuation, especially of the eh'tra, is 

 noticeably sti'onger than in the type ; for this well-marked variety he 

 proposes the name ^K(r. infuscatum. 



This form has been found in Donegal, Oavan, Armagh, Dublin and 

 Keriy, and is therefore widely spread in Ireland. It has also been taken 

 by ]\Ir. Kej^s near Plymouth (Ent. Mo. Mag. xlii. (2 Ser. xvii.) 1906, 137). 



Var. univeste, Reitter (Deutsch. Ent. Zeitsch. 1877, 294); 

 Ganglbauer (Die Kafer von Mitteleurop. iii. 670), Of a uniform 

 chestnut-brown colour, with the legs and antennfe slightly lighter ; the 

 thorn X is more transverse than in the type form, and the general 



