104 INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



Known from the last by its diminished Ijulk, and by the broadly and distinctly 

 paler terminal portion of its elytra; whilst its posteriorly-acuminated, more 

 deeply punctured, and less shining body, and its entu'ely dark prothorax will at 

 once separate it from the whole of the genus with which we have here to do. It 

 is somewhat allied to the common Eiu-opean C. ancde, — from which however its 

 smaller size, much more coarsely sculptured siu-face, and its very brightly testa- 

 ceous hinder apex will readily remove it. It is pretty generally distributed 

 tlu'oughout Madeira, occurrmg, in the dung of cattle, in nearly all parts of the 

 island. I have observed it in the neighboiu-hood of Eunchal, as also at Santa 

 Anna and Sfio Vincente, dm'ing the summer months ; and in the lofty region of 

 the Cruzinhas Ln July. 



82. Cercyon centrimaculatum. 

 C. subrotundato-oblongum subconvexum nigrum nitidum, prothoracis lateribus elytrisque diluto- 

 testaceis, his subpunctato-stiiatis macula magna postmcdia communi infuscata plus miuusve 

 suiFusa ornatis, pedibus rufo-ferrugineis. 

 Var. /3. prothoracc elytrisque diluto-testaceis, illo in discum solum obscure ini'uscato, horum 

 macula postmedia communi fere obsoleta, pedibus pallidioribus. 

 Long. Corp. lin. |-], 



S])h<sridiwm centrimaculatum, Sturm, Deutsch. Fna, ii. 23 (1807). 



pygmcstim, Gryll. Ins. Suec. i. 104, var. h. (1808). 



Cercyon centrimaculatum, Erich. Kiif. der Mark Brand, i. 218 (1837). 

 , Mulsant, Palp. 169 (1844). 



Habitat Maderam, in iisdem locis ac prsecedens sed illo multo copiosior. 



C. short and oblong, but not quite so much rounded as the C. inquinatum, and somewhat less convex 

 than cither of the foregoing species ; black or piceous-blaek, and shining ; closely and delicately 

 punctulated all over. Prothorax with the lateral edges narrowly testaceous. Elytra sub- 

 punctate-striated ; dull testaceous, and with a large, usually ill-defined and suffused, postmedial 

 fascia or cloud, eonunon to both, infuscate. AntenntP, palpi and legs as in the last species. 

 Vnr. /3. with the prothorax and elytra dull diluted-testaeeous ; the former having only an obscui-e 

 cloud on the disk infuscate, and the postmedial patch of the latter being almost obsolete. Limbs 

 altogether a little paler. 



The smallest and by far the most abundant of the Madeiran Cercya. It is of 

 an exceedingly variable hue ; nevertheless the most essential featm-e which it 

 possesses, namely the liinder fascia or cloud Avith Avliich its elytra are adorned, is 

 more or less expressed throughout aU its varieties, and wall serve to distinguish it 

 from the remainder of the genus here described. The paler state (which I liave 

 indicated as var. /3) is to a certain extent the result of immatm-ity ; 'nhilst the 

 extreme darker ones, especially when they happen to be below the average in size, 

 approach at iii-st sight to the common C. pygmcBum of more northern latitudes. 

 Even such specimens as these however, — that is to say, where the postmedial 



