PLATYDEMA. 187 
light ferruginous; beneath shining, reddish brown, sparingly and finely punctured, the metasternum 
smoother, the ventral surface longitudinally wrinkled and punctured. 
Length 6-64 millim. 
Hab. Mexico, Parada (Sailé). 
Two examples. This species may be known by its somewhat depressed form, dark 
greenish-bronze upper surface, short thorax and antenne, &c. It should be placed 
near the European P. dytiscoides, Rossi, the head being formed as in that species. 
6. Platydema mexicanum, (Tab. VIII. fig. 12.) 
Obovate, depressed, dull brownish black, slightly shining. Head transversely impressed in front, paler along 
the anterior margin, the epistoma defined by a fine impressed line, finely and sparingly punctured, the 
eyes large; antenne short, reaching a little beyond the base of the prothorax, joints 8-10 transverse, 
ferruginous ; prothorax small, strongly transverse, the apex broadly emarginate, the anterior angles 
almost rounded, the base strongly bisinuate and with a shallow oblique impression on each side, the sides 
strongly margined and converging from the base, the surface very finely and distantly punctured ; scutel- 
lum large, scutiform ; elytra about four times as long as the prothorax, very distinctly wider than the 
prothorax at the base, slightly rounded at the sides, widest a little beyond the middle, somewhat abruptly 
narrowing behind, the apices slightly produced, regularly punctate-striate (the punctures narrow, close, 
and deeply impressed), the interstices flat, very sparingly, shallowly, and minutely punctured; palpi and 
legs ferruginous ; tibie rather short, slightly curved, the spurs small; beneath shining, sparingly punc- 
tured, the metasternum smoother, the ventral surface more closely and evidently punctured, and longitu- 
dinally wrinkled at the sides ; prosternum horizontal, the apex produced and received by the concave 
V-shaped mesosternum. 
Length 53-6? millim. 
Hab. Mexico (coll. F. Bates), Ciudad in Durango (forrer), Pinos Altos in Chihuahua 
(Buchan-Hepburn), Jalapa (Hége). 
Nine examples. Of quite a different facies from any other species recorded here, and 
perhaps most nearly allied to the North-American P. americanum and P. subcostatum. 
P. mexicanum may be known by its depressed obovate form, the comparatively very 
short and narrow thorax, and the short and slightly curved tibia. An example from 
Jalapa is figured. 
7. Platydema agile. 
Platydema agile, Chevr. Petites Nouv. Ent. ii. pp. 178, 187°. 
Hab. Muxico1, Playa Vicente (Sallé); Brirish Honpuras, R. Sarstoon, Belize 
(Blancaneaux); Guatemata, El Reposo (Champion); Nicaracua, Chontales (Belt).— 
CotomBt1A !; VENEZUELA (coll. F. Bates); Guiana, Cayenne !. 
A widely distributed but apparently rare species, represented by one or two examples 
only from each locality. > 
P. agile is a large, dull, velvety-black species, with the front of the head, the legs, 
antenne, and under surface rufous; it is the largest of the Central-American species. 
I have examined a typical example (named by Chevrolat) of P. agile, contained in 
2 BB 2 
