224 Mr. J. Walton on the genera Oxystoma and Magdalis. 



Genus Magdalis, Germ., Steph., Curt. 

 Magdalinus, Sclionh. vii. p. 135. 



Thamnophilus Schonh. olim, Rhinodes Schonh. olim, Stepli., Pa- 

 nus Schonh. olim, Steph., Westw. 

 The few indigenous species of this genus have been described 

 by British and foreign authors under so many different names, 

 which have been so often transposed, that the nomenclature and 

 synonymy of several species are in the greatest confusion ; the 

 sexual dissimilarities in the form of the rostrum and the clava of 

 the antennae in many species, and the great variation in magni- 

 tude in nearly the whole, have added to the difficulty of determi- 

 ning the species correctly. 



A. Femora dentate. 



1. M, phlegmaticaj Herbst, Gyll., Germ., Schonh. 

 Linear-elongate, blue-black and subglabrous. Head narrow, 



oblong, subconical, depressed between the eyes, very closely and 

 minutely punctm'ed ; eyes rather large, prominent, and obscure 

 brown ; rostrum subcylindrical, nearly as long as the head and 

 thorax, porrect, a little bent, slender, black and shining, delicately 

 punctulated throughout. Antennae rather longer than the ros- 

 trum, the basal joint piceous, the club robust, pubescent and 

 fuscous, inserted just behind the middle of the rostrum. Thorax 

 longer than broad, constricted and deeply impressed in front, 

 the anterior margin elevated, the base bisinuated, with the pos" 

 terior angles produced and'reflexed, almost flat above, very thickly 

 punctured and dull blue-black. Elytra punctate-striate, the in- 

 terstices very distinctly punctulated and shining, and greenish 

 blue. Legs blue-black, with all the femora acutely dentate. 

 (Length 2^— 2f lines.) 



I possess specimens oi M. frontalis of Gyll. from Germar, which 

 are identical with Cure. Alliaria and C. violaceus of the Linnsean 

 cabinet, and I also possess Swedish specimens that agree with the 

 description of Rhynch. violaceus of Gyllenhal. 



A specimen of this fine insect, which is new to our fauna, was 

 first found by the Eev. Wm. Little four or five years ago, on the 

 25th of May, by sweeping in marshy ground in Dalmeny Park, 

 Scotland; subsequently Mr. R. N. Greville captured two others 

 in the same locality, one of which he kindly presented to me : 

 these are all that are known. 



2. M. carhonaria, Linn. (Mus. Linn.), Gyll. ? , Curtis S ? • 

 Rhynch. atratus, Gyll. J', vol. iii. 



M. atramentaria, Germ, (not Marsh.), Gyll. (^ $ , Schonh. 

 This insect differs from the following in having the thorax nar- 



