170 [August, 



54 are from Algeria, 54- being very slightly teratological as regards the 

 shoulders of the struts. 



In Britain this is a very abundant insect, and is probably so 

 over a large extent of at least Western Europe, but owing to the 

 paucity of material in collections, I am not able to say much more 

 about it. Froni France, I have seen specimens from Paris, La Vendee, 

 Nimes; Sardinia, Terranova, and Clolfo Aranci (Champion), many 

 specimens, Sarrabus, May, 1873, R. G-estro, one specimen. Malaga, two 

 doubtfiil specimens, with coarser sculpture of elytra, not agreeing, 

 but one of them jjrobably really a variety of minutus. In Algeria the 

 species becomes so variable that a special study of it there is desirable ; 

 some of the specimens differ but little from ours, while others are of 

 a much brighter colour, and the black marks of the elytra may be 

 entirely wanting; unfortunately the small material at my disposal 

 consists too largely of females, but I have figured the aedeagus 

 (figs. 53 and 54) of two Algerian males, which apparently differ a 

 little from British examples, though in slightly different ways. From 

 the East I have almost nothing : one doubtful specimen from Silesia 

 (Reichenstein, v. Bodemeyer) ; Besika Bay, one example, perhaps 

 distinct (coll. Champion) ; Mesopotamia (Millingen), one individual, 

 probably distinct and near the Armenian lederi. ' From Scandina.via 

 no specimen, lapfonicus Th., which has been placed as a synonym of 

 this species, being distinct. Siberia (Ochotsk, coll. Sahlberg), one 

 specimen, also probably a different species, as I shall mention under 

 H. sahlbergi. 



As regards the name minutus, see my remark's on p. 233 of 

 Vol. LI (last year). I need only add that minutus Fabr., being- 

 pretty certainly this species, is older than the equally iincertain 

 griseus Herbst, and that in the absence of knowledge as to the 

 Scandinavian forms, we cannot yet discuss the question as to what 

 the griseus of G-yllenhal was. 



From all points of view — nomenclatorial, anatomical, and 

 systematic — H. minutus is one of the real difiiculties of European 

 Coleopterology. 



41. — Helopliorus affinis Marsham. 



This is very closely allied to H. minutus, and as it is variable like that species 

 some of the varieties can scarcely be distinguished by external characters. 

 H. affinis is broader, less parallel, but of brighter colour ; the thorax is more 

 narrowed behind and not in a simple curve but sub-sinuate, and tlie lateral 



