INSECTA MADERENSIA. 99 



front of the eyes, and the lateral margins of the prothorax and of the elytra (especially the 

 former) being alone paler. 



Found only, so far as I have liitlierto observed, in tlie island of Porto Santo ; 

 where I captiu"ed it in profusion, during April 1848, adhering to the undersides of 

 stones in the little stream known as the Ribeu-o de Serra de Pora. It occurs in 

 nearly aU parts of Europe, and is abundant in Algeria. 



Fam. 6. SPH^RIDIAD^. 



Genus 36. DACTYLOSTERNUM, WoU. (Tab. III. %. 1.) 



Corpus minusculum, oblongum, subdepressum : p7-othorace postice lato : elytris pi'ofunde striatis : 

 metasterno (III. 1 a) piano, antice in mucronem subsagittatum (III. 1 «*) producto : alis amplis. 

 Antenna (III. 1 h) 9-articulat8e geniculatje, ante oculos sub margiue capitis iusertse, articulo 

 prime longissimo ad basin flexuoso, secundo brevi subconico-truncato, tertio, quarto quiutoque 

 minutissimis, sexto latiore subpoculiformi, reliquis clavam magnam pubescentem elongato- 

 ovalem triarticulatam efficientibus. Labrum (III. I c) breve transversum, antice emarginatum 

 et dense ciliatum. MandibuJce (III. 1 d) validse, apice incurvfe acutfe, louge intra apicem 

 unidentatse et margine interno membranaceo ciliato. Maxilla (III. 1 e) bilobse subcoriacese : lobu 

 externa brevi lato, apice dense barbato : interno paulo breviore, intus membranaceo, apicem 

 versus pvibescente. Palpi maxillares longiusculi, articulo secundo robusto subclavato, ultimo 

 subfusiformi : labiates (III. !_/) e scapis ligulte connatis surgeutes, mediocres. Mentum amplum 

 transverso-quadratum angulis anticis acutis, margine antico subrotundato sed ad apicem ipsum 

 leviter bilobo. Liyula lata, profunde biloba, lobis divergentibus pubescentibus. Pedes (III. \g. 1 h) 

 subfossorii, robusti: femoribus tibiisqae subcompressis ; his parce seriato-spinulosis, valde calcaratis, 

 apicem versus leviter dilatatis : taisis, ■pr?ese]:tim postez-ioribus (III. 1 A), articulo primo elongato 

 libero : unguiculis (III. 1 k) simplicibus, subtus ad basin rotundato-ampliatis. 



A BdKTv\o<; digitus, et urepvov pectus. 



The very anomalous insect for the reception of which I have established the 

 present genus is perhaps one of the most remarkable of all the Madeu-an Coleo- 

 ptera. It would appear to constitute a connecting link between Cercyon and 

 Cijclonotum, agreeing with the fii'st in the subsolid club of its 9-jointed antennte, 

 and in its deeply punctate- striated elytra ; whilst in its emargmated labrum, in its 

 transverse-quadrate mentum, and in its simple meso-, and anteriorly produced 

 meta-stema it assumes to a certain, extent the peculiarities of the second. In its 

 mandibles however it is central between the two. For one of the most important 

 characteristics of Cyclonotum is its apically bifid mandibles, — a structm-e which it 

 possesses in common \Ai\\ the members of the preceding family, the llydropliiUdcp 

 (to which in fact in many respects it more strictly belongs). In the remainder of 

 the Sphceridiadce however (a group almost purely, with the exception of Cyclo- 

 notum, terrestrial) this modification is lost sight of, the mandibles being edentate. 

 Now, the habits of Dactylostermmi are exactly intermediate between those of 



o2 



