32 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA, 



breve, subtumido : . . .74. Notiophilus 



»ngato, obc( 

 co : thorax 



Palpi articulo | 



\ elongato, obconi- ^ rotundatus : . 1h. Elaphrus. 



V. co : thorax < 



(quadratus: . 76. Blethisa. 



Genus LXXIV. — Notiophilus, Durneril. 



Palpi, external maxillary, and labial with the last joint short, slightly tumid, 

 subovate, truncate : labrum entire, rounded, nearly covering the mandibles, 

 which are not dentate internally : mentum emarginate anteriorly, with a bifid 

 central lobe. Antennae slender, slightly thickened towards the extremity: 

 head deeply sulcated between the eyes: enlarge, not very prominent : thorax 

 quadrate, flat, as broad as the head : elytra depressed, elongate, and nearly 

 parallel : legs rather slender : anterior tarsi of the males not dilated. 



Notiophilus differs from Elaphrus by its elongate depressed body ; 

 the less projecting mandibles ; deeply sulcated forehead; large but 

 scarcely prominent eyes ; narrow, rounded, and advanced labrum ; 

 and shorter and swollen terminal joint to the palpi : the elytra are 

 also flat, with a very smooth longitudinal space on the disc. The 

 species greatly resemble each other; they are lively and active; 

 occur usually beneath stones, in damp and gravelly places, or at the 

 roots of trees. It is probable that we have more than two species 

 in Britain, but I have not yet ascertained the point. 



Sp. 1. aquaticus. Supra 03neus, fronte profunde striata, elytris punctato-striaf is, 

 plagti longitudinali ad suturam apiceque politis, punctoque impresso. (Long, 

 corp. 2^—3 lin.) 



Ci. aquatica. Linne.—Don. viii. pi. 351. f. 2. — No. aquaticus. Steph. Catal. 

 p. 41. No. 407. 



Above of a bronzed copper, more or less dusky : head very deeply sulcated 

 between the eyes : palpi dusky : thorax about as broad as the head, nearly 

 smooth on the disc, the margin deeply punctate throughout ; with a faint 

 longitudinal dorsal line, and a slight transverse impression at the base, and 

 another on each side towards the hinder angles: elytra elongate, each with 

 eight deep punctate striae; the first towards the suture; the six following close 

 to each other, leaving a broad highly polished space between them and the 

 sutural stria ; the eighth on the outer margin, rather faint, and nearly approxi- 

 mating to the other ; they vanish before the apex of the elytra, except the 

 sutural one and the seventh; on the disc is an impressed dot between the 

 third and fourth striae : the body beneath, and legs, are deep bronzed-black. 

 The colour of the upper surface varies slightly. 



A very common species in Britain, frequenting sand and gravel- 

 pits: I have taken it abundantly at Hertford, Ripley, Hampstead, &c, 



