SCIETES. 615 



obliterated ; the scutellum varying in colour from black to testaceous ; tbe elytra black, piceous, or 

 brownish, with a common oblong reddish-yellow mark of variable size about the middle, which is some- 

 times faint or obliterated ; the antennae testaceous, slightly infuscate at the tip ; the legs testaceous, the 

 hind femora sometimes partly piceous ; the body beneath piceous or brownish. Head, prothorax, and 

 scutellum thickly, very minutely punctate ; antennae moderately long and rather stout, joint 3 very small, 

 shorter than 2, 4-10 gradually decreasing in length ; prothorax very short, narrowing from tbe base, 

 finely margined at the sides ; elytra closely, very finely punctate, the punctuation coarser than that of the 

 prothorax, narrowly margined at the sides. 



Var. The elytra with an additional reddish-yellow mark along the suture at the apex. (Fig. 5.) 



Length 2,V-2fc breadth 1|-1| millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Presidio de Mazatlan (Forrer), Guanajuato (Salle), Atoyac in Vera 

 Cruz (H. II. Smith) ; Guatemala, Panzos and San Geronimo in Vera Paz, Panajachel, 

 Paso Antonio, Duefias, Capetillo (Champion) ; Nicaragua, Chontales (Janson) ; Panama, 

 Volcan de Chiriqui (Champion). 



Numerous examples, varying greatly in colour. The variety is from Mazatlan and 

 Guanajuato. This species is extremely closely allied to the North-American S. orbi- 

 culatus (Fabr.) (= centralis, Say, and lateralis, Lee), for a specimen of which we are 

 indebted to Dr. Horn, only differing therefrom in the denser and finer punctuation of 

 the elytra ; it is equally variable in colour, except that the thorax does not become 

 wholly piceous. The common central spot on the elytra is sometimes faint or 

 obliterated. 



15. Scirtes saltator. 



Oval, convex, shining ; black, the lateral margins of the prothorax testaceous, the antennae testaceous, infuscate 

 at the tip, the legs piceous, with the tarsi and the four front tibiae testaceous, the knees reddish ; sparsely 

 clothed with very fine fulvo- cinereous pubescence. Head, prothorax, and scutellum thickly, minutely 

 punctate; antennae moderately long and slender, joint 3 small, about as long as 2, 4-11 elongate, 

 gradually decreasing in length ; prothorax short and convex, narrowing from the base, acutely margined 

 at the sides ; elytra thickly, very finely punctate, the punctuation a little coarser than that of the 

 prothorax, narrowly margined at the sides. 



Length 3^, breadth 2 millim. 



Hab. Guatemala, Panzos (Champion). „ 



One specimen. This species is of regularly oval shape, considerably more narrowed 

 in front and behind than the similarly-coloured S. longicornis, from which it may be 

 easily separated by the very much shorter and slender antennae, with longer third joint; 

 it is also larger and more convex, and has smaller and less prominent eyes. The general 

 shape is very like that of various Psylliodes, of the family Halticidse. 



16. Scirtes quadrinotatus. (Tab. XXVII. fig. 6.) 



Oval, convex, shining ; head reddish-yellow, with the base black ; the prothorax reddish-yellow, with a patcH 

 on the middle of the disc, extending to the anterior margin, and connected laterally with a spot opposite 

 the eyes, brown ; the scutellum piceous, paler at the apex ; the elytra brownish-testaceous, with the 

 base and apex narrowly, and a rather large lateral patch about the middle, black ; the antennae piceous, 

 with the basal five joints testaceous ; the legs testaceous, with the tarsi slightly infuscate ; the body 



