INSECTA MADERENSIA. 169 



or even testaceous, shiuing, and pubescent. Head and prothorax very delicately punctulated, 

 and closely so at the sides : the latter subquadrate, a little narrowed behind, convex and without 

 any appearance of either ridges or depressions ; the anterior angles produced into a large, 

 powerfid, and obtuse tooth, or projection, and the posterior ones almost right angles, — the edges 

 being tolerably straight, and very minutely and regularly crenulated throughout. Elytra 

 slightly paler than the head and prothorax, obscurely and very lightly subseriate-punctate ; and 

 with the interstices very minutely punctulated, but not raised. Antenna exceedingly abruptly 

 clavated at their apex. 



The present insect, in its general contoiu* and testaceous line, bears sucli a 

 strong resemblance to a Cry2)to])hagus, that it might be almost supposed, at first 

 sight, to be referable to that genus : nevertheless a more careful inspection of its 

 structui-al characters will show it to be a true Silvanm, — although imquestion- 

 ably a less typical member of the group than either of the preceding species. 

 Apart from its pallid, more shining, and less sculptured surface, it recedes so com- 

 pletely from the other Silvan I here described in its comparatively convex and 

 oblong form, and in the construction of its (subquadi-ate) prothorax, — which has 

 the anterior angles produced iato a large and obtuse tooth, and the hinder ones 

 nearly right angles, whilst the lateral edges are minutely crenulated throughout, 

 — as to render the chance of confounding it with either of them altogether im- 

 possible. In its habits moreover, as well as in its outward aspect, it makes an 

 evident approach towards CryptophciQus, — it being more general in its mode of 

 Hfe, and often attaching itself to farinaceous substances and grain. Although, 

 owing to its HabUity to transmission amongst articles of commerce, its proper 

 country is not now easy to decide, it is evidently a native of more northern regions 

 than either the »S. Surinamensis or the S. clentatus; and perhaps the southern 

 Mediterranean limits may be regarded as, ui all probability, one of its origiaal 

 areas of diffusion. It is apparently rare in Madeira, the only specimens which 

 have hitherto come beneath my notice having been captured by myself in the 

 garden of the Quinta d'iLaibrosio, near Punchal, during January 1848. 



Fam. 14. CRYPTOPHAGID^. 



Genus 57. CRYPTOPHAGUS. 



Herbst, Nat. die Kdf. iv. 172 (scrip. Kryptophagus) (1792). 



Corpus minusculum vel parvum, plus minusve oblongo-ovatum et convexum : prothorace angulis 

 anticis elongato-ampliatis et subrecurvo-incrassatis, ad latera plus minusve deutato-creuulato ; 

 alls amplis. Antenna clavatae, articulis primo et secundo (illo praecipue) parum robustis, tertio 

 paulo longiore, quarto ad octavum brevioribus subsquahbus, reliquis clavam sublaxam triarticu- 

 latam eificientibus (ultimo ad apicem oblique truncato). Labrum transversum, antice integrum 

 ciliatum. Mandibulce validse acutae, infra apicem subcrenulatse, dein excisae ciliatae. Maxilla 

 bilobBe : lobo externa Iato, apice valde pubescenti : interna minore angustiore pubescenti. Paljii 



Z 



