72 [March, 1013. 



15 (16). Striae coarse, the first interstice smooth, the fourth with two iimbili- 



cate punctures before the apical third 4-p%inctatus, Dej. 



16 (15). Stride fine, the first interstice finely shagreened, the fourth with only 



one umbilicate puncture before the apical third. 



suhstriatus, Wat. 



17 (14). Fourth interstice, near its luilf-length, sub-equal in width to the 



fifth ; striae coarse, the oviter interstices very narrow, very finely 

 shagreened near the base only hiyuttatus. Fab. 



18 (13). Elytra unicolorous; tibiae entirely red-yellow, femora somewhat 



darker rufipes. Curt. 



N. aqiudlcns, Linn., is the comniouest of the black-legged group, 

 and calls for uo special remark. 



JV. blacki (Shai-p, M.S.) is the "peculiar form of Notiophilns'' 

 referred to by Mr. Black (Ent. Mo. Mag., XLVIII, p. 185). The 

 specimen in question was labelled by Reitter, "higeminus, Th. (longi- 

 pennis, Chd. )=^2msiUns, var." ; but this is evidently an error, because 

 the insect has one and not two umbilicate punctures near the apex of 

 the elytra. The pale marking on the elytra, which forms so con- 

 spicuous a feature of Mr. Black's specimen, appears to be a character 

 common to all our black-legged species, though in many cases it 

 cannot be distinctly seen unless the elytron is raised. Three examples 

 only of N. blacJci have hitherto been recorded, two from Peebles and 

 one from Sutherlandshire. It is doubtful whether this is to be 

 regarded as a distinct species, or as a mountain form of aqiiaticus ; 

 but the point may, perhaps, be certainly determined when male speci- 

 mens are available for dissection. 



N. striglfroH!^, Baudi. This is what has been known as the 

 Scottish mountain form of aquatic us; it is recorded from Braemar 

 and Aviemore, and I have seen it from Pitlochry, ex coll. Joy, and 

 from Newtowiimore, ex coll. Black. The application of the name 

 dnyifrons to our insect is not unimpeachable. In the original 

 description the author, comparing strigifrons with aquaticus, says 

 " elytra ejusdem structurae" ; but on the other hand we learn from 

 Mr. Champion's note (Ent. Mo. Mag., XLV, p. 12) that a specimen 

 of what Capt. Deville regards as Baudi's species resembles our 

 Scottish insect in having two umbilicate punctures near the apex of 

 the elytra, and only differs in having the striae more distinct pos- 

 teriorly. Inasmuch as I see no reason to believe that in the offspring 

 of any pair of pnsillus some will resemble their parents and the re- 

 mainder atrigifroHs, I do not treat the latter as a form of pusillus. The 



