74 t^^p"'' 



and one from Achill Island ; they differ from the prevalent form of 

 hi/j)ocrita in being a little smaller, more parallel- sided, and more 

 convex in appearance ; the hinder angles of the pronotiim are more 

 pronovmced, the stria? on the basal third of the elytra are more coarsely 

 punctured with narrower and more convex interstices, and tlie 

 shagreening- of the outer interstices is much less evident. If it be 

 desired to distinguish this form by name, that of ab. hihermcus wovdd 

 be appropriate. I have seen typical hi/pocrif(( from Croagh Patrick, 

 and Mr. Halbert mentions one in the Haliday collection from the top 

 of Carrantuohull, Co. Kerry. 



N. 4-2mnctatus, Dej. The real ^-jmnctatus, as I understand it 

 from foreign descriptions, and find it exemplified in specimens taken 

 at Shirley, Surrey, by Mr. W. West, is not hlguttatus with an extra 

 vmil)ilicate puncture on the foiu-th interstice of one or both elytra ; 

 but a distinct species, more nearly related to suhsfriatus than to any 

 other of our species. The fourth interstice is flat or even a little 

 concave, about twice as wide as either the third or fifth, and its 

 surface-sculpture is as evident as it is in substriahis ; in biguttatus the 

 fourth interstice is convex, not evidently wider than those on either 

 side of it, the shagreening is extremely fine and usually confined to the 

 basal half ; and this whether there be two or three umbilicate punc- 

 tures on the disk of the elytra : I have never seen a sj)ecimen with four. 



N. substriahis, Wat. This very distinct species is common in 

 Norfolk. I found it particularly abundant in flood-refuse there 

 recently ; liut I have not taken it in Grioucestershire nor am I 

 acquainted with any record of its occurrence in that county. 



N. biguttcdns, Fab. Specimens having one or more super- 

 numerary umbilicate punctures on the disk of the elytra occur some- 

 what rarely, and to this fact is probably due the assumption that 

 4<-punctatns and higidtatus are conspecific. A specimen from Lydford 

 in coll. de la Grarde has the outer interstices shagreened quite to the 

 apex. As a rule the pale apex to the elytra is very distinct, but I have 

 ont; female taken at Colesborne with a considerable number of the 

 normal form, in which the pale colour is only jiist perceptible on the 

 outer side of the conunenceiuent of the apical slope, a circumstance 

 which gives the insect a very distinct facies. This form I call ab. 

 inoni dus ; similar specimens from the Gresausealpen, Steiormai'k, are 

 m "utioned by Spaeth (t.c. p. 523). 



N. rufi'pes, Curt. This species is easily recognised by its pale 

 legs (the anterior and intermediate femora are rufo-piceous, becoming 



