PARNIDiE. — PARNUS. 103 



Genus XCIL— Parnus, Fabriclus. 



Palpi short, maxillary four-jointed, subfiliform, the terminal joint largest, ovate- 

 conic, apex acute : labial three-jointed, terminal joint oval : labrum slightly 

 emarginate : mandibles bidentate at the apex, with two smaller teeth below : 

 maxilla* with the external lobe subquadrate, with a spine at the inner angle ; 

 the internal slender, acute, articulated near the apex: mentum transverse- 

 quadrate: labium subquadrate. Antennas with the claws subserrated, the 

 dentations obtuse : thorax with a longitudinal impressed line on each side : 

 legs moderate, anterior and intermediate of nearly equal length. 



The habits of the Parni are evidently analogous to those of the 

 Gyrini and Heteroceri, although their structure differs so remark- 

 ably, especially from the former group : their curious antennae 

 readily discriminate them from all the other British genera ex- 

 cepting Gyrinus, to which they are remotely similar in form ; but 

 the clavate mass in that genus is cylindric and rigid, whereas in 

 Parnus it is internally produced and serrated. The species have 

 been but little attended to, and confusion, the usual consequence, 

 has been the result. 



Sp. 1. prolefericornis. Elongatus, olivaceo-griseus, tomentosus, subtilissimc 

 punctatus, elytris obsoletissime substriatis. (Long. corp. 2— 2§ lin.) 



Pa. prolefericornis. Fabricius. — Steph, Catal. p. 54. No. 544. 



Elongate ; olivaceous, densely villose, minutely punctured : head dusky : thorax 

 very convex, disc without a fovea: elytra thickly and finely punctured, very 

 obsoletely striated, especially on the sides and towards the apex : body ashy- 

 brown beneath, pubescent ; legs dull-ferruginous, with the tibiae dusky. 



Very abundant in April at the roots of grass and subaquatic 

 plants on the borders of a pond in Battersea-flelds, and on Wands- 

 worth-common : also on the banks of ditches on Ockham-heath, 

 near Ripley, at Hertford, &c. " Near Epping." — Mr. Doubleday. 

 " Netley, Salop."— Rev. F. W. Hope. 



Sp. 2. sericeus. Elongatus, olivaceo-griseus, sericeo-tomentosus, subtilis.ume 



punctatus, elytris basi substriatis. (Long corp. 2| lin.) 

 Pa. sericeus. Leach, MSS. — Samou. pi. 3. f. 10. Steph. Catal. p. 51. No. 515. 

 Elongate, olivaceous, clothed with rich silken down; minutely punctured, the 



elytra substriated at the base : thorax not foveolated. 

 This appears to me to be merely a variety of the foregoing, differing in having 



the pubescence on the body of a richer hue than usual. 



Taken in Battersea-fields and elsewhere., not uncommonly, in the 



spring. 



