Omalium riparium, Sfc. 475 



slightly prominent; and the foveae on the upper surface are 

 smaller and less strongly marked. Lastly, the antennae are both 

 longer and stouter. 



I may here state that the insect described by Dr. Kraatz under 

 the name Omalium fucicola agrees with the species which I regard 

 as the true 0. Iceviusculum. O. fucicola, Kraatz (Stett. Ent. Zeit. 

 1857, p. 286), founded upon specimens taken upon the coast of 

 Iceland, was subsequently supposed by its describer (see Berlin, 

 Ent. Zeitschr. 1858, p. 378) to be identical with the O. Icevius- 

 culum of Gyllenhal (Ins. Suec. iv. p. 464), and is further stated 

 by him to be the same as O. monilicorne of Fairmaire. Thomson 

 gives the O. fucicola as identical with his O. riparium,; and, in 

 the last edition of Schaum's Catalogue, the two names are likewise 

 united as belonging to the same species. Thomson's descriptions, 

 however, show that (compared with the O. Iceviusculum) his 

 O. riparium is the smaller and darker-coloured insect ; and has 

 the elytra more thickly and distinctly punctured : that 0. Icsvius- 

 culum is more subject to variation in colouring, and especially 

 presents varieties with the thorax more or less rufescent ; and, 

 lastly, we may infer that it has longer antennae, for in the descrip- 

 tion of 0. riparium he says, " antennce prothoracis basin vix attin- 

 gentes, articulo 4fto haud transverso ;" whilst in the short descrip- 

 tion of 0. Iceviusculum we find '^ antennis articulis 4 — 6 oblongis" 

 given, as it would appear, as a character serving to distinguish 

 that species from 0. riparium. 



In the British Museum Collection is a considerable series of 

 specimens, from Iceland, sent by Dr. Kraatz as his 0. fucicola, 

 and it is upon a careful examination of these specimens that I 

 have arrived at the conclusion above stated. 



The 0. Iceviusculum then has an enormous range of latitude, 

 being found in the south coast of England (Isle of Wight), and ex- 

 tending, to the extreme north of Norway, and north-westwards to 

 Iceland. The 0. riparium I have found pretty plentifully under 

 sea-weed near Southend, and likewise near Strood. Mr. Rye 

 informs me that he has received it from Mr. Bold as found near 

 Newcastle. Thomson obtained the species from the southern- 

 most part of Sweden, and likewise from Lapland. 



Homalota Icevana, Muhant, Opusc. Entom. i. 39, 18, t. 1, f. 12; 

 Kraatz, Ins. Deutschl. p. 306, 116. 

 This is a somewhat slender insect with moderately long black 

 antennae, the three basal joints of which are elongated, the inter- 

 mediate joints all of them very nearly equal in vvidth,.and quadrate, 



K K 2 



