APHODIID^E. — PSAMMODIUS. 209 



Sc. testudinarius. Fabricius. — Don. ii. pi. 70. f. 1.— Ap. testudinarius. Steph. 

 Catal. 113. No. 1171. 



Somewhat depressed, obscure, black: head and thorax very thickly and rather 

 coarsely punctured, slightly pubescent; the clypeus a little emarginated: 

 elytra oblong, rather convex, piceous, with paler, somewhat ferruginous, 

 rounded spots on the disc, deeply sulcate, the sulci obsoletely punctate, the 

 interstices narrow, carinated : body and femora black : tibiae and tarsi fer- 

 ruginous. 



The prettily spotted sulcate elytra of this insect, with its small size and obscure 

 pubescent surface, are sufficient characters to discriminate it from all the 

 foregoing : it closely resembles some of the Psammodii in habit. 



Found in sandy situations near the metropolis, most abundantly 

 during the spring : on Hampstead-heath I have taken it most 

 copiously in April. " Fields near Bow, Essex, in company with 

 A. inquinatus in profusion, in February; Hampstead-heath and 

 Coombe." — Mr. Ingpeii. 



Genus CXCVII. — Psammodius, Gyllenhal. 



Antenna with the basal joint robust, oblong, subfusiform ; the second subglo- 

 bose; the third slender, subclavate; the three following somewhat cup- 

 shaped, the remainder forming a triphyllous laminated club, the terminal 

 joint of which is oval. Palpi, maxillary with the third joint very short, the 

 terminal about three times as long, subovate : labial short, with the terminal 

 joint large, ovate; head broad, with the clypeus generally notched: body 

 oblong-ovate, generally convex : tibia; with the apex considerably dilated. 



The principal distinctions between Psammodius and Aphodius 

 consist in the former having the mandibles more corneous, the 

 terminal joint of the palpi dilated, and the third of the maxillary 

 very short, the third joint of the antennae somewhat pear-shaped, 

 with the terminal ovate, and the tibise much dilated at the apex : — 

 all the species delight in sandy districts, chiefly near the coast. 



A. With the thorax not sulcated transversely. 

 Sp. 1. elongatus. Oblongus, subdepressus, niger nitidus, clypeo emarginato, tho- 



race punctata, elytris crenato-striatis, interstitiis Icevibus. (Long. corp. 2^ 



lin.) 

 Ps. elongatus mihi.— Steph. Catal. 113. No. 1172. 



Oblong, somewhat linear, rather depressed, shining black: clypeus deeply 

 emarginated anteriorly, convex, with a few scattered punctures : thorax 

 rather coarsely, but not very thickly punctured : elytra elongate, depressed on 



