INSECTA MADERENSIA. 17 



Genus 6. NOTIOPHILUS. 



Diuneril, Consid. gen. sur les Ins. 169 (1823). 



Corpus parvum, parallelo-oblongunij politissimum : cap'ite lato, oculis maximis promincntibus : pro- 

 thorace trausvcrso-quadrato : alls amplis. Antenna filiformes, breviusculae. Labrum rotundatum, 

 margine antico parce ciliato. Mandibulce arciiatse acutse, margine interno dentato. Maxilla 

 bilobse : lobo externa palpiformi biarticulato : interno incurvo acutOj intus ad basin valde ciliato. 

 Palpi robustij articiilo ultimo subovato-truncato. Mentum transversum trilobum, lateribus rotun- 

 datis, lobo medio brevi emarginato. Ligula antice dilatata, in medio acute producta ; paraglossis 

 angustis incurvis, ligulam vix superantibus. Pedes sat graciles : tibiis iotus baud emarginatis : 

 tarsis anticis in maribiis articulis tribus vix dilatatis : unguiculis simplicibus. 



The singular little insects whicli compose the genus NotiopJiilus are well known 

 by tlieii" depressed, brilliantly polished surfaces, parallel outline, large transverse 

 heads, prominent eyes, and by theu' square prothoras. Although specifically not 

 very numerous, yet abounding as they do, individually, throughout the whole of 

 Europe, they must be familiar to almost every eye, theu' small glittering bodies so 

 often observed darting across our pathways, or by the field-sides, especially after 

 showers, either from beneath clods of earth or out of crevices of the soil, sparkling 

 like coats of mail to the sun, giving them a character peculiarly their own. They 

 are extremely variable both in theii- sculptiu'e and hue, being subject to consider- 

 able local modifications, though more particularly affected, it would appear, by 

 altitude. Thus, for instance, in our own country, the common representative of 

 the plains is found likewise on the summits of the mountains, but at that elevation 

 it becomes liable to great alternations of colour, ranging from pale brassy-brown, 

 Avith the apex testaceous, mto deep black. The sculptm'e however, perhaps, is 

 nearly as much dependent on other circumstances, for its modification, as on alti- 

 tude, since it seems tolerably clear that proximity to the sea-shore, especially 

 where the localities are saHne, will frequently produce a more faintly impressed 

 surface, — a peculiarity indeed which I have remarked in other insects besides the 

 Notiophili. 



13. Notiophilus geminatus. 



N. viridi-ffineus nitidus, protborace quadi-ato, dense prsesertim ad latera punctato, elytris leviter punc- 



tato-striatis plaga longitudinali suturali nitidissima, tibiis testaceis. 

 Long. Corp. lin. 2\-2h- 



Notiophilus geminatus, Dej. Spec, des Col. v. 589 (1831). 



Habitat in montibus Maderse ac Desertse Grandis, prsesertim ad vias vel sub lapidibus, hinc inde non 

 infrequens, 



N. brassy-brown, usually with a greenish tinge. Head wide, with deep longitudinal striae between the 

 eyes, which are large and prominent. Prothoro.x short, transverse-quadrate, slightly produced in 

 the centre of the front margin, and with a deep longitudinal channel; punctured all over, though 

 obscurely so on the disk. Elytra much depressed, finely punctate-striated, the second interstice 



D 



