124 MANDIBULATA. COLEOPTERA. 



chiefly during the spring. " A single specimen taken near Ely." 

 — Rev. L. Jenyns. " Common on the banks of the Tees, in York- 

 shire." — L. Rudd, Esq. 



Genus L. — Platysma, Bonelli. 



Palpi nearly as in Pterostichus ; external maxillary with the basal joint minute, 

 the second long, stout, a little bent, third about as long as the second, clavate, 

 fourth subfusiform-truncate, shorter than the third : labial rather slender, the 

 third joint clavate, longer than the terminal, which is attenuated at the base : 

 labruvi quadrate, entire: mandibles deeply striated above, simple: mentum 

 deeply notched, with a bifid lobe. Antennw compressed, the fourth joint not 

 shorter than the following, the terminal acute : head moderate, porrect, ob- 

 long-ovate : thorax obcordate, truncate : body depressed : elytra obovate, si- 

 nuated at the tip : wings ample : anterior tarsi of males with three dilated 

 joints. 



Platysma is so closely related to Pterostichus that Sturm has 

 placed the only species in that genus, without any remark ; it may, 

 however, be known by the comparative slenderness and the pro- 

 portions of the joints of the palpi, and by the superior length of the 

 fourth joint of the antennae. 



Sp. ] . niger. Niger, nitidus, thorace j)0stic8 utrinque histriato, elytris profundi 



striatis, striis obsolete crenatis. (Long. corp. 9 — 11 lin.) 

 Ca. niger. Fubricius. — PL niger. Steph. Catal. p. 25. No. 209. 



Deep shining black : head obsoletely punctate, rugose near the eyes, with two 

 frontal sulci : thorax obsoletely wrinkled transversely, with a deep channel 

 down the centre, and two very deep impressions on each side at the base, the 

 inner longest: elytra rather dull, very deeply striated, the striae obscurely 

 crenate, an impression on the third from the suture towards the base, two on 

 the second, and a series on the margin : tips of palpi and claws ferruginous. 



Not Very uncommon beneath dead leaves in the spring at Coombe- 

 wood; also found in other places near the metropolis. " Parley- 

 heath, Hants."— J. C. Dak, Esq. 



Genus LI. — Abax, Bonelli. 



Palpi robust : external maxillary with the two last joints of equal length, the 

 last oval truncate, the preceding clavate : labial with the third joint clavate, 

 the terminal truncate, attenuated at the base : labrum transverse, deeply emar- 

 ginated : mandibles very acute, striated above, internally denticulated at the 

 base : merdum deeply notched, the centre of the notch with a bifid lobe. An- 

 tennae setaceous, the fourth and fifth joints of equal length : head suboval : 

 thorax quadrate, sessile: elytr-a united, with a longitudinal carina at the 

 shoulders : body much depressed, broad : wings none : anterior tarsi of males 

 with three dilated joints. 



