150 
ITATTTRAL HISTORY OF 
BOLITOBIUS ATllICAPILLUS. 
PLATE V. Fig. 3. 
Staphylinus atricapillus, Falrricius, Olivier , iii. No. 42, pi. 
4, fig. 39, Oy b — Tachinus atricapillus, Gravenhorst , Mo - 
Micro#, 
This generic group was first separated by Dr 
Leach from the genus Tachinus of Gravenhorst. 
It includes about twenty small species, which appear 
to be found only in Europe and North America* 
They are known by having the body narrowed at 
both ends, the thorax nearly as long as wide, the 
anterior part of the head rather produced, and the 
four posterior tarsi considerably lengthened. They 
are ornamented with strongly contrasted marks of 
red, pale yellow, and blue black ; and the surface is 
remarkable for its high polish. All the species feed 
on mushrooms, boleti, &c., and seem most partial 
to them when in a putrescent state. B, atricapillus , 
of which we have given a magnified figure from 
Olivier’s Entomologie, inhabits Britain, France, and 
most of the northern and middle countries of Europe. 
It varies from three to four lines in length, and is of 
a glossy black on the head, with the mouth and palpi 
reddish. The thorax is glossy red, without punc- 
tures, except on the sides : the elytra bright bluish 
black, with a pale crescent-shaped mark at the base 
of each, and three faint punctured lines along the 
