INSECTA MADERENSIA. 5 



shorter liead and prothorax : whilst from the former (with which it agrees hetter 

 in the length of its antennae, the shape and colom- of its head and prothorax, and 

 in its striated forehead) it is no less evidently removed hy its much larger size, 

 more parallel outline, hroader head, opake suhpuhescent surface, and by the im- 

 punctate striae, dark suture, and abbreviated fascia of its elytra. It is, apparently, 

 extremely rare, although widely distributed throughout the islands of the group. 

 I have captured it twice, from under stones, on the Dezerta Grande (on the great 

 western promontory beyond the head of the northern valley), — during May ; twice 

 on the Ilheo Chao, or Elat Dezerta, — in June ; and once in Madeira, at the Feijaa 

 de C6rte, — at the beginning of August : aU in 1850. 



4. Dromius sigma. 

 D. testaceus nitidus, capite nigro-fusco, elytris substriatis, sutura fasci^que media dentate fuscis. 

 Var. a. prothorace rufo-testaceo immaculato (ins. Partus Sanctus). 

 Var. /3. paulo longior, prothoracis disco infuscato (ins. Madera). 



Var. y. subopacus, prothorace toto et elytrorum basi fasciaque media latissima fuscis (ins. " Ilheu 

 de Fora," justa promontorium Sancti Laurentii Maderse). 

 Long. Corp. lin. l|-2. 



Carahus sigma, Eossi, Fna Etrus. i. 226 (1790). 

 Dromius sigma, Dej. Spec. Col. i. 235 (1825). 



fasciatus, Sturm, Deutsch. Fna, vii. 42 (1827). 



sigma, hipetinifer et Sfurmii, Bab. Trans. Ent. Soc. Land. i. 85 (1836). 



sigma, Heer, Col. Sel v. 9 (ISil). 



Habitat insulas Maderenses, sub lapidibus, bine inde non infrequens : varietas a. una in Portu Sancto 

 et nusquam nisi ilHc occurrit : varietas /3. montibus Maderse propria est : varietatis y. unicum 

 exemplar vidi, in insula quadam jvurta promontorium Sancti Laurentii Maderse "Ilheo de Fora" 

 dicta a meipso, d. 19 Mart. a.d. 1849, repertum. 



D. pale testaceous. Head narrow and rather elongated, dark brownish-black, or black. Prothorax 

 subquadi'ate, a little narrowed behind, deeply channelled. Elytra most obscm-ely striated, the 

 humeral angles considerably roimded-oflf; the suture, and a nan-ow submedial zigzag fascia, dark 

 fuscous. Wings obsolete. 



Var. a. shining; the prothorax rufo-testaceous and immaculate. (The state peculiar to Porto 

 Santo.) 



Var. /3. a little longer, shining ; the prothorax rufo-testaceous, with its disk and anterior por- 

 tion darkly, and the region of the scutellum obscui'ely, infuscate. (The state peculiar to 

 Madeira.) 



Var. y. opake ; the entire prothorax, and the base of the elytra, fuscous ; and the transverse fascia 

 of the latter extremely broad. (Captured on the Ilheo de Fora.) 



Scattered sparingly, though principally at lofty altitudes, tliroughout Madeii-a 

 and Porto Santo. In the former I have taken it from beneath stones at the 



