OMALID.E. MEGARTHKUS. 331 



A. With the femora compressed. 



Sp. 1. rufescens. Plate xxvii./. 5. a — f. Rufo-piceus, obscmnusculus, punc- 

 tatus, thoracis marginibus lateribus antennis pedibusque rufis. (Long. corp. 

 1—1 ^lin.) 



Me. rufescens. Kirby MSS.—Steph. Catal 295. No. 3219. 



Reddish-pzVc%, slightly obscure : head nearly as wide as the front of the 

 thorax, with a distinct longitudinal ridge : eyes rather prominent : thorax 

 thickly punctured, with a deep dorsal channel, the lateral margins expanded, 

 broad and depressed light red, the hinder angles eroded : elytra pitchy : very 

 thickly and rather ruggedly punctured : abdomen nearly black above, mi- 

 nutely punctured, its apex pitchy-red, and the lateral margins acutely ele- 

 vated : legs pale rufous : antennae the same, rather dusky at the base. 



I have frequently taken this insect at the roots of old fir trees near 

 Hertford ; it also occurs at Ripley and other places within the metro- 

 poHtan district ; and in Somersetshire, Salop, and in the New Forest, 

 Suffolk, Norfolk and Devon. " In putrid fungi, in the Penllergare 

 Woods."— L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. " Raehills."— jReu. W. Little. 



Sp. 2. retusus. Fulvo-Jlavus, punctatus, oculis nigro, thoracis marginibus expJa- 



natis pallidis, capite retuso. (Long. corp. 1 lin.) 

 Me. retusus. Kirbi/ MSS.—Steph. Catal. 295. No. 3220. 



Fulvous-jeWow, obscure, punctured: head wide retuse in front, with an obso- 

 lete longitudinal ridge in front : clypeus retuse, broad : eyes black : thorax 

 with the sides expanded, flattened and pale; the hinder angles slightly ele- 

 vated : elytra rather finely punctured and somewhat pubescent, half as long 

 as the abdomen, which is slightly convex, very finely punctured, and has 

 the sides a little elevated: legs and antennce pale testaceous. 



Near London and in Suffolk. 



Sp. 3. flavus. Flavus, punctulatus, oculis nigris, thorace linea dorsali exarata, 

 capite antice retuso. (Long. corp. 1 lin.) 



Me. flavus. Kirhy MSS Steph. Catal. 295. No. 3221. 



Pale-yellow, obscure, punctured and nearly glabrous : head scarcely narrower 

 than the thorax, transverse, clypeus retuse or emarginate : eyes black: thorax 

 somewhat parallelogrammic, with the sides margined and very much flat- 

 tened, impressed; the disc punctate, with a smooth longitudinal central 

 line : elytra twice as long as the thorax and margined : abdomen convex, 

 its sides margined : legs very pale : antenna; nearly as long as the thorax, 

 fuscous, with the terminal joint red and obtuse. Probably a variety of the 

 foregoing insect. 



