1909.J 77 



5 (6) Elytra oblong-ovate, their sides almost straight in the middle third... 



nitens, Mull. 



6 (5) El jtra ovate, a little widened behind sodn/is, Er. 



R. cupreus, Miill. Smaller and more broadly built than siib- 

 violaceus, with the elytra more suddenly narrowed to the apex. 

 Upperaide bronze, inoderaiely shining, sometimes with a violet 

 reflection. Thorax broader than long, the sides gently curved 

 inwards in the front half, in the basal half straight or extremely 

 feebly concave. I have taken this in Norfolk and at Colesborne, 

 but always singly ; it has been taken freely by Mr. Britten at 

 Gt. Salkeld, Cumberland, and by Mr. Tomlin in the river Wye. 



(t. R. Waterhouse, in his Catalogue of 1858, puts the cupreus of 

 Stephens as a synonym of nitens, Miill. ; and Dr. Sharp (Ent. Mo. 

 Mag., ii, p. 12, June, 1865), has a note headed " Capture of El mis 

 cupreus, MnWeY ; a species new to Britain," although he there says, 

 rightly enough, that Stephens' description of cupreus, Miill., in the 

 " Manual," certainly refers to the species then being recorded. It 

 may be that Waterhouse found no specimen of cupreus in Stephens' 

 collection, or that Stephens' representatives of cupreus and nitens both 

 belonged, in his opinion, to the latter ; but this circumstance would 

 not alter the fact that Stephens had already (Illust. Mand. ii, p. 109, 

 Sp. 9, PI. xiii, f. 6, 1829), published an intelligible description and 

 recognizable figure of cupreus, Miill. Later {op. cit., Mand. v, p. 396, 

 1832), Stephens re-describes cupreus as " Sp. 10," without referring to 

 bis figure, and adds an intelligible description of nitens as "Sp. 11." 



B. subviolaceus, Miill. Our largest and commonest species ; 

 readily distinguished from cupreus by its larger size and elongate-oTal 

 shape. The upper-side is moderately shining, black with a faint metallic 

 or violet reflection, or dark bronze. Thorax longer in proportion to its 

 width than in cupreus, the sides usually distinctly concave in their 

 basal half I find this not uncommon at Colesborne, in the river 

 Churn. 



B. nitens, Miill. Distinguished from cupreus by its narrower, 

 more straight-sided form. Antennae entirely red-yellow. Thorax dull, 

 with a feeble bronze lustre, its sides in the basal half a little concave, 

 the basal angles more prominent than in cupreus. Elytra bronze, mo- 

 derately shining, striae deeply punctured, seventh interstice cariniform. 

 I have not taken this species myself, and had at first some difiiculty in 

 obtaining native examples, as specimens of cupreus, with entirely pale 

 antennae, are sometimes mistaken for it. It has been taken freely by 



