136 t^P'"'' 



I have entered into these particulars, not only because schmidti is 

 a remarkable species with peculiar distribution, but also because I find 

 a want of agreement in the structure of the aedeagus, which if borne 

 out by the examination of a greater number of examples may give rise 

 to the discrimination of more than one species. The structure is quite 

 of the Empleuru!^ type, the lateral lobes being rounded externally, and 

 the median lobe short and robust, overlapped till near its tip by the 

 lateral lobes. In an example from the Gautabrian Mountains the 

 median lobe is considerably shorter than the lateral lobes, but in a 

 Hungarian example it is quite as long as the lateral lobes ; while a 

 Swiss example appears to be intermediate in these respects. Whether 

 ther^ is local ,^riation, specific distinction, or merely difference of 

 position or of shrinking, I will not venture to express an opinion on 

 the inadequate evidence. 



Empleurus Hope. 



EmpleAirus Hope, Col. Manual, Part II, p. 149. 



Abdomen feebly pubescent, labial palpi setose, body without 

 flexible hairs, supra-pleural area large. 



Hope specially named nubilus as the type of his genus, saying of it 

 " the type of my genus Enipleuriis ; Elophorus may properly be 

 divided into two subgenera : those with striate elytra, and those which 

 have the wings deeply sulcated or porcate. Nuhilvs is often found at 

 the roots and. stalks of cabbages ; the water held in the leaves of the 

 plants being quite sufficient to saturate the gi'ound around and satisfy 

 the insects. I have watched the same insects for eight or nine weeks 

 at the same plant, and never knew their numbers during that time 

 increased or diminished." 



The genus was thrown into complete confusion by Kuwert who 

 united it with other forms, and proposed the new name Trichelopliorus 

 for his incorrect combination. G-anglbauer and Zaitzev have restoi*ed 

 the name Empleurus, but Kuwert' s taxonomy still exists in Zaitzev's- 

 catalogue, where Emplewrus includes, besides the species I assign to it, 

 those I place in Eidrichelophorus. 



1. — Empleums nuhilns Fabr. 



This species is the best known of the allied forms. Its individuals 

 are always in a very dirty state. When thoroughly cleaned, the 

 typical form has the head black, the thorax of a dark testaceous — 

 somewhat reddish — colour, the elytra pale with a few dark marks on 

 the posterior part ; underneath it is dull reddish yellow, the legs being 



