1874.] 103 



separated the legs, aud examined them both in iluid and Canada balsam. 

 1 would therefore propose to supplement Lecoute's description with 

 the following remarks : 



Antennoo 8-joiiited, 1st joint much stouter and distinctly longer than the following 

 one, 2nd joint slender at the base, slightly longer than the 3rd, joints 3 — 7 differing 

 very little from one another, each just a little shorter and scarcely broader than the 

 predecessor, the sutures separating the joints broad (or, in other words, the base of 

 each joint accurately adapted to the extremity of the preceding one, so that the 

 outline of the antenuie is scarcely at all notched), the suture between the 7th and 

 8th joints probably not admitting of motion, 8th joint elongate, rather longer than 

 the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th joints together. 



Mesosternuni widely separating the middle coxte, and similar in form to the 

 same part in Megasternum holeto'phagum. 



Front and middle tibise armed externally with stout spines. 



Tarsi 3-jointed, 1st joint rather shorter than 2nd, 3rd fully as long as 1st and 

 2nd together (this is drawn from the middle and hind tarsi ; the front tarsi arc much 

 shorter than the others). 



Hind-body elongate and pointed, with the segments very retractile. 



So much for the American insect. 



Directly I looked at the specimens sent by Dr. Leconto, I saw 

 they were closely allied to a minute species I captured some years 

 ago in Spain, and I have accordingly compared the Spanish with the 

 C'aliforniau examples, as well as with Dr. Lecontc's description, and I 

 find the two insects to be congeneric, and moi'cover, to be two closely 

 allied species of the same genus. The following short characters will 

 enable the European Hydroscapha to be identified. 



Htdroscapha Ckotciii, s/?. n. — Pitchy-testaceous, shining, 



sub-depressed, legs and antennae yellowish ; head and thorax almost 



smooth, elytra very obscurely punctured, but the punctuation at 



their apical part distinct though very fine. 



Length, less than half a line. 



This insect is closely allied to II. nutans, Lee, but is smaller, 

 narrower, and very much more depressed. 



It was captured by the late Mr. G. 11. Crotch aud myself in the 

 pools of \\ ater by the side of the Manzanares in the suburbs of Madrid. 

 During life, the hind-body is distended, but, except for this fact, the 

 inscet bears a singular resemblance to a minute species of Limnehius, 

 in company with which it is found — the Limncbius being abundant, 

 tlic Hydroscapha scarce. The Limnehius was sent by mo to M. Pan- 

 delle some time ago, and was pronounced by him to be the Limnehius 

 cvanescens of Kieseuwetter. Kieseuwetter'a description (Berl. Ent. 

 Zeit., 1805, p. ;375) of L. evanescens consists of only nine words, and 

 they are not applicable to the Limnehius in (lucstion, though it is pos- 



