504 Mr. T. V. Wollaston on certain Coleopterous Insects 



which appears to agree sufficiently well with the description of 

 the Hispalis viridulus, given by Erichson in the ninth volume of 

 Wiegmann's 'Archiv fiir Naturgeschichte/ in 1843. The former 

 of these, the Cicindehj I am told by Mr. Clark, was abundant 

 in a salt locality, or marsh, immediately behind the ' Valley of 

 Death' (so called from its having been the burial-place of the 

 unfortunate sufferers from the cholera during the fearful visita- 

 tion of 1855) ; whilst \heAmblystomus occurred amongst the light 

 soil around the roots of a small succulent plant (probably either 

 a Sedum or a Mesembrijanfhemum), — much in the same manner 

 as we often observe the Harpali to congregate along the sea- 

 shores in England ; and where they were most likely secreted 

 on account of the little shade and moisture which such a posi- 

 tion would naturally afford them. 



The exponent of the Brachelytra is a solitary example of an 

 Isomalus, Erichs., — evidently a new species, which may be thus 

 briefly characterized : — 



Isomalus Hesperidum. 



I. niger, nitidus, glaberrimus, valde depressus, ubique subtilissime 

 alutaceus sed fere impunctatus ; capita magno, piano ; prothorace 

 cordato, postice fortiter angustato, lateribus vix pone medium 

 leviter excavatis, dentem obtasum efficientibus, in dorso latissime 

 longitudinaliter depresso, antice intra angulos anteriores utrinque 

 leviter notato ; elytris prothorace paulo longioribus, punctulo dis- 

 cali impressis ; antennis fuscis, basi pedibusque piceis. 



Long. Corp. lin. 2\. 



I believe that it was detected by Mr. Gray, but I have no 



note as to the precise circumstances of its capture. 



The section Necrophaga is represented by what I conceive to 

 be the Dermestes lupinus, Esch., — a species liable to be intro- 

 duced almost everywhere, and therefore well nigh cosmopolitan. 



The exponent of the Cordylocerata is a very distinct and ele- 

 gant Sajmnus, the S. equestris of Erichson (King's Jahrb. d. 

 Ins. S. 175; and Wiegm. Archiv, ix. 226. 43), — captured by 

 Mr. Clark, near the sea-beach, in stercore humano. 



The section Priocerata is shadowed forth by a single Elater, 

 which, I am informed by Mr. Janson, may possibly belong to 

 the genus Monocrepidius, but which is probably new as regards 

 the species. It may be described thus : — 



he shortly afterwards died, the insects of the two localities were unfortu- 

 nately mixed up together ; and Eiichson, who was not aware that he had 

 touched at those islands at all, described the whole of them as coming 

 from Angola. Thus an amount of confusion has been caused, which can 

 only be dissipated by an accurate knowledge of the Coleopterous faunas of 

 the two regions. 



