440 Mr. G. R. Waterhouse upon certain British Species 



could not trace the pale markings on the abdomen ; this, however, 

 I thought might arise from the condition of the specimens, and 

 accordingly united the whole as one species under the name 

 attenuatus, although only those with the immaculate abdomen 

 strictly agreed with Erichson's description. I was further helped 

 to this conclusion by the circumstance that no other insect in 

 Erichson's work could be identified, as it then appeared to me, 

 with our apparently common insect. Since that time, however, 

 I have found the species now under consideration plentifully, and 

 during the past year I have taken a specimen of what 1 now 

 regard as a distinct species, and as the true Q, attenuatus of 

 Erichson. When in perfectly good condition the latter has no 

 trace of pale markings on the abdomen, neither are there any 

 distinct foveae. 



I have thus been led to re-examine both descriptions and spe- 

 cimens of the Quedii allied to attenuatus, and find some important 

 corrections to make. 



It now appears to me : — 



First. That the Staphylinus semi-obscurus of Marsham is not the 

 insect described under the same specific name by Erichson and 

 Kraatz, but is the Q. nijijies of those authors. 



I learn that the Q. rufipes and Q. monticola very closely resemble 

 each other, and, indeed, Dr. Kraatz informs us that the latter has 

 commonly been mistaken for the former, but that Q. rufipes may 

 be distinguished by its very thickly punctured scutellum. I have 

 before me specimens of Q. monticola sent by Dr. Kraatz to the 

 British Museum, and these I find are extremely like Marsham's 

 insect, but differ in having the scutellum less thickly and less 

 finely punctured, and in having a distinct smooth margin. In 

 Marsham's insect the scutellum is as thickly and finely punctured, 

 and as thickly clothed with pubescence, as the elytra, and there is 

 no distinct smooth margin. Furthermore, Marsham's insect differs 

 in being more attenuated anteriorly, the thorax being more con- 

 tracted in front, and the head narrower, and of a somewhat ovate 

 form; the punctuation is rather finer, and the joints of the 

 antennae are shorter, the intermediate joints being quadrate (or some 

 of them even slightly broader than long), whilst in Q. monticola 

 they are all longer than broad. These points of distinction are 

 also indicated in the descriptions of Erichson and Kraatz. Our 

 specimens vary from 3^ to 4| lines in length. 



The Q. semi-obscurus of Kirby's collection agrees with the 

 original Marshamiam type. 



Q. semi-obscurus is not an uncommon insect with us, but I have 



