1916.] 165 



the golden coloiir in an indefinite manner, the sculpture of the intervals very 

 much reduced. The grooves shaped as in muUanti, but broader so as to appear 

 a little less sinuous, the sub-median interval more reduced in front. Length 

 3A-5 mm. The maxillary palpi are rather long and slender ; the hairs of the 

 hind tarsi largely developed. The aedeagus (fig 47) a little broader in pro- 

 portion to the length than in mulsanti, with the median lobe longer than usual; 

 the basal piece rather strongly narrowed in front. 



Algeria (found by Eippon many years ago) ; (jibraltar (Walker) ; 

 Lyons (Coll. Castelnau) ; Malta (Walker). 



The material before me shows a great deal of variation, but I 

 cannot divide it into species satisfactorily. The specimens from Malta 

 are mostly distinguished by rather larger size, and the golden- coppery 

 colour of the head and thorax : the thorax is in them usually a 

 little more transverse, and its sculpture diminished. There are minute 

 differences in the shape of this part in several individuals, but I cannot 

 separate any of them. The aedeagus of a Malta example is broader 

 than that of one from Gibraltar, and the lateral lobes are broader and 

 less pointed, but the distinctions are not marked enough to rely on at 

 present. 



The species as here accepted must be one of the most variable of 

 the genus, as (though altogether I have seen only 20 examples) they 

 might be divided into ten or twelve " varieties." The aedeagus in all 

 the males has been examined, and the differences found to exist are 

 not sufficient to support the view of there being more than one species ; 

 still I cannot but think that longer series of the supposed varieties may 

 show that some of them are entitled to specific rank. 



32. — Helophorus iricolUs sp.n. 



Caj^ite prothoraceque metallicis, anteimis palpis pedibusque testaceis, palpis 

 elongatis, elytris sordide testaceis, macula suturali communi dilute nigra, fortiter 

 striato-punctatis, interstitiis pone medium leniter convexis ; suhtus cum coxis niger. 

 Long. 5 mm. 



Hah. : Gibraltar. 



I describe this from a solitary female, very closely allied to fulgidi- 

 collis. It is of a dirtier coloration, with the last joint of both maxillary 

 and labial palpi longer, the thorax rather more parallel -sided, the 

 punctures of the elytra larger, the interstices less flat, and the coxae 

 darker. There is a fine, very distinct, punctuation on the median 

 intervals of the thorax, the sub-median groove is less angvdate in the 

 middle, and the yellow coloration of the sides is not extensive. The 

 true last dorsal segment is very broad at the tip, its marginal chitinisa- 

 tion pallid, moderately broad. 



