130 SEEEICOKNIA. 



the elytra are a trifle shorter. The head is sparingly punctured. The thorax is con- 

 stricted in front, widened behind the middle, with rather large shallow punctures 

 scattered over the surface, but placed more closely in the basal impressions and in the 

 impression on each side of the front margin. The elytra are obscure purple, as broad 

 just before- the middle as at the shoulders and then obliquely narrowed to the apex, 

 sinuate below the shoulders, with lines of punctures, which are large at the base, but 

 gradually become smaller towards the apex, where they are not very distinct; each 

 puncture bears a very short whitish hair. 



y 8. Taphrocerus communis. 



iEneus, nitidus ; capite thoraceque parce punctatis ; elytris striato-punctatis, calvis. 

 Long. 1| lin. 



Eab. Mexico, Atoyac in Vera Cruz (E. H. Smith) ; Guatemala, San Juan, Chiacam, 

 and San Geronimo in Vera Paz (Champion). 



This species exactly resembles T. purpureipennis, but is without the short white 

 hairs in the punctures of the elytra. The specimen which I have taken for the type, 

 from Atoyac, is uniform brassy. Most of the examples from San Geronimo have the 

 elytra more olive-aeneous ; whilst nearly all those from Chiacam are more coppery in 

 colour, with the elytra bluish-purple at the base. 



Variety X A series of specimens from Teapa in Tabasco (H. H. Smith) differ from the 

 type in being smaller, 1^-1^ lines in length; they also appear to average a little 

 narrower. A series from Atoyac in Vera Cruz, Teapa in Tabasco (H. II. Smith), San 

 Ger6nimo and Tamahu in Vera Paz (Champion), Bugaba, Volcan de Chiriqui 3000 to 

 4000 feet, and Tole in Panama (Champion), differ from the type in being decidedly 

 more cylindrical in form, and in having the punctuation of the elytra a little stronger ; 

 they vary in length from lj-lf lines. A specimen from Torola, Guatemala, and one 

 from Teapa are somewhat intermediate. 



9. Taphrocerus uniformis. 



Olivaceo-seneus, nitidus ; elytris striato-punctatis. 

 Long. 2 lin. 



Sab. Mexico, near the city (H. H. Smith). 



The head is rather sparingly punctured. The thorax is somewhat constricted in 

 front, widened posteriorly, but not so much as in T. communis, with the basal impres- 

 sions punctured; near the posterior angles there is a short, obtuse, straight ridge, 

 directed slightly inwards from the posterior angle. The elytra are striate-punctate, the 

 lines of punctures reaching to the apex, but the punctures gradually diminish in size. 



K 



