of the Genus Quedius. 439 



ment presents two widely separated pale spots at the base,* the 

 depressions on the segments are more evident, and we perceive, 

 besides the two larger shallow fovese, a slight oblong mesial de- 

 pression on each of the basal segments. 



The greater part of the abdomen is clearly clothed with dufky 

 pubescence, but rather less dark than in Q. allenuatus. The 

 punctuation of the insect is rather finer and more dense than in 

 that species ; the middle coxae, and hinder femora and tibiae, are 

 very little darker than the anterior legs, being but indistinctly 

 tinted with fuscous. The abdominal segments beneath are rather 

 broadly, and the last segment very broadly, margined with tes- 

 taceous. The head and thorax commonly have an indistinct 

 Eeneous hue, and the terminal joint of the palpi is more or less 

 piceous. 



These are the leading characters of the Q. riitipennis of Stephens' 

 collection and description. The type specimen is a female ; in 

 the male of the same species, the anterior tarsi are distinctly 

 dilated, and the sixth abdominal segment presents a triangular 

 emargination, the apex of the triangle being slightly obtuse : the 

 immediate region of the emargination is smooth and glossy, and 

 faintly impressed in the mesial line, 



Var. 1 . Coxis intermediis, femoribus, t'lhiisque posterior'ihus piceis. 



The specimens in my collection in which the intermediate coxae 

 and the hind legs (with the exception of the knees and tarsi) are 

 dark, sometimes pitchy black, average a larger size than those in 

 which the same parts present only a faint trace of the darker 

 colour, but this will probably not prove a constant distinction. 

 The larger specimens are 3| lines in length. 



Var. 2. Elytris riijis, hasi ceneo-tlnclis. 



When engaged in determining our British species of Quedius, I 

 found in my collection several specimens of the present species, 

 and two bad examples of an insect very like it, but in which I 



* Since the above was written I have noticed that under the microscope, in 

 certain lights, the pubescence forming the so-called pale spots appears to be 

 distinctly pale, that of other parts being grey-black ; but upon altering the position 

 of the insect with regard to the light, the pubescence appears to be uniformly 

 black, and when, as 1 have above said, the spots change their position on the 

 insect being viewed from different directions, it may be questioned whether the 

 pale spots are due to a difference in the colour of the pubescence. They are 

 formed, perhaps, by a stronger light striking upon certain patches of hairs, which 

 are situated on the sides of the shallow foveae ; if this be the case, however, the 

 deceptioQ is most complete. 



