THE YOUNG NATURALIST 



109 



of the elytra which are pale yellow, with 

 black markings as follows : a spot at the 

 shoulder, a band across the middle of each 

 elytron, which reaches to the side margin, 

 but not quite to the suture, and the hinder 

 part of the elytra, leaving only a minute 

 yellow spot at the extreme apex, the dark 

 portion being connected at the side margin 

 with the transverse band. This species 

 seems to be very local, although when it 

 does occur it seems to be fairly common. 

 It has recently occurred in some numbers 

 at Box Hill, in Surrey. 



CH^NIUS. 



The four species of this genus are easily 

 separable. C. holosericeus is black, has the 

 interstices of the elytra granulose and 

 thickly covered with yellowish hairs ; vestitiis 

 has the elytra green with a yellow margin ; 

 nigricornis and schranki have the elytra bright 

 green, without yellow margin ; the former 

 has the first joint of antennae red, and the 

 hinder angles of the thorax blunt, whilst 

 the latter has the hinder angles of thorax 

 -right angles, and the first three joints of 

 antennae red. Schranki and holosericeus are 

 extremely scarce ; vestitiis and nigricornis 

 seem generally distributed, occurring in 

 swampy places ; the latter species being 

 often found in nfimbers in hollow stems of 

 reeds. In size, all the species measure 

 about 4 to 5 lines. 



OODES. 



0. helopioides, the single British represent- 

 ative of this genus, has a superfical resem- 

 blance to an Amara, from which, however, 

 it may easily be distinguished by its dull 

 black colour, its impunctate thorax, which 

 is without basal depressions, and its paral- 

 lel sided elytra. This species seems gen- 

 erally distributed ; Mr. Dawson's localities 

 are principally in the south, and Mr. 

 Smedley took the species near York. 



LICINUS. 

 We have two species, L. depressus and 



L. silphoides, which are easily separable. 

 Both are black in colour, and much flat- 

 tened, but the interstices of the elytra are 

 wrinkled, and the third, fifth, and seventh 

 raised so as to form slight ribs in Silphoides, 

 whilst in depressus the interstices are flat and 

 thickly punctured. Both species measure 

 about five to six lines, and are found in 

 chalky localities, as at Box Hill. 



BADISTER. 

 We have four species divisible as follows ; 



1. Thorax black, with yellowish margins, 



B. sodalis and B. peltatus. 



2. Thorax red. B. unipustulatus and B. hi- 



pustulatus. 



Sodalis is distinguished from peltatus by 

 being rather smaller (2 lines), and by having 

 a large yellow spot at the shoulder, whereas 

 peltatus measures about 2i lines and has no 

 shoulder spot. Both species have the mar- 

 gins the elytra yellow. 



Unipustulatus differs from bipustulattis by 

 being larger (^in. in length), the head 

 wider in proportion to the thorax, and the 

 latter more narrowed behind, and by having 

 the underside of the breast with a yellow 

 spot on each side. Bipustulattis has the 

 underside of the breast entirely black, and 

 is a more slender looking insect. Bipustu- 

 latus is common and generally distributed ; 

 unipustulatus and sodalis are local, and 

 peltatus rather scarce. 



BROSCUS. 



B. cephalotes is sufficiently distinguished 

 from all other Geodephaga by its size 

 (I inch), and distinct neck to the elytra. 

 The colour is dull black. It is common on 

 most sandy shores, where it forms a burrow 

 under driftwood, &c., but it is not confined 

 to the coast, being occasionally taken very 

 far inland. 



MISCODERA. 

 The single species M. arctica, which occurs 

 very rarely on high mountains in Wales 

 and Scotland, has a superficial resemblance 



