SILPHIDvE. — OICEOPTOMA. 21 



and thickness: by which characters and its elongate body this 

 genus may be known from the rest of the family. 



Sp. 1. littoralis. Nigra, antennis apice testaceis.. (Long. corp. 7—12^ lin.) 

 Si. littoralis. Linne.—Ne. littoralis. Steph. Catal. 75. No. 806. 



Oblong, depressed, black : eyes glaucous : antennae black, with the three ter- 

 minal joints testaceous-yellow; thorax large, slightly convex: elytra elon- 

 gate, a little dilated in the middle, finely and thickly punctulate, with three 

 smooth, elevated, lines, reaching to the apex, and a short one at the base 

 between the two exterior ones, and towards the apex of the latter a transverse 

 elevated tubercle : body deep glossy-black beneath. 



In some males the posterior femora are remarkably thickened and denticulated 

 beneath; while others have them very simple and unarmed; the posterior 

 tibia are also more or less arcuated ; and the anterior tarsi dilated : in the 

 females the legs are however always simple. 



The size of this species varies greatly, some examples (given as distinct by 

 Dr. Leach in the Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, under the name Ne. Curtisis) 

 being only seven lines in length, while others exceed an inch. Again the elytra 

 are sometimes of a livid brown or dull rufescent, but, in other points, similar 

 to the above. 



Not uncommon on the banks of the Thames near Gravesend; 

 and in Battersea-fields ; also on the shores of the Severn. " Fre- 

 quent at Bottisham, about midsummer ; found chiefly in the larger 

 carcasses." — Rev. L. Jenyns. " Netley." — Rev. F. W. Hope. 

 " Parley-heath."—/. C. Dale, Esq. « Var. /3. Loch Lomond."— 

 Dr. Leach. " In carrion common (near Swansea), and sometimes 

 under sea-weeds about high-water mark." — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 

 " Carlisle."— T. C.Heysham, Esq. " Sidmouth."— T. Marshall, 

 Esq. " Wandsworth Common." — Mr. G. Waterhouse. 



Genus CXXIV. — Oiceoptoma, Leach. 



Antennas nearly as long as the thorax, rather slender at the base, and termi- 

 nating abruptly in a quadriarticulate club, the basal joint of which is small, 

 and the terminal large, obconic: head small, inflected: eyes moderate: 

 thorax nearly semicircular, transverse, emarginate anteriorly: elytra entire 

 (of the females sometimes emarginated at the apex), carinated, with a deep 

 marginal canal: body oval, depressed: legs rather short, slender: the an- 

 terior tarsi of the males slightly dilated, 



Oiceoptoma may be known from the other genera of this family 

 by the abrupt quadriarticulate club of the antenna?, united to the 

 depressed oval body, covered to the apex with the elytra, which are 



