INSECTA MADERENSIA. 215 



posteriorly-abbre\datecl strife of theii- elytra, and the iinimpressed edges of theii- 

 prouotum, all tend to prove that this variation is steadfast, and therefore, — if Ave 

 choose so to designate it, — a generic one. And, as regards less conspicuous points 

 of structure, their anteriorly unproduced prosternuni, their perceptibly more 

 robust and abbreviated antennae (the scape of which is clavate, and the funiculus 

 nearly filiform, — the basal articulation however being large and squarish, and the 

 ultimate one broad, extremely short, and compressed into a thin plate, — whilst 

 the club is very sohd and globose), added to theii- subemarginated upper lip and 

 their usually edentate mandibles, are abundantly sufficient, when combined, to 

 separate the Scqorini, not only from the normal Histers, but also, equally, from 

 the FaromaU and the remainder of theu- allies. 



169. Saprinus nitidulus. 



S. subovato-quadi'atus subsenescenti-niger nitidissimus, capite insequaliter punctulato, prothorace 

 versus latera necnon per marginem posticum profimde punctato, eljiiro siugido striis quinque 

 dimidiatis obliquis et una suturali recta antice obsoleta impresso, parte postica dimidia profunde 

 punctata, antennis pedibusque picescentibus, tibiis anticis spinuloso-subdentatis. 



Long. corp. lin. 3-3i. 



Var. (3. minor, paulo magis rotundatus, tibiarum anticarum spinulis minoribus. 



Long. Corp. lin. 2-2i. 



Sister nitidulus, Fab. Syst. EJeu. i. 85 (1801). 



■ semistriatus, Ent. Sefte, i. 77 (1803). 



nitidulus, Payk. Mon. Hist. 58. tab. v. fig. 3 (1811). 



Saprinus nitidulus, Erich. Edf. der Mark Brand, ii. 670 (1839). 



Habitat Maderam australem, mibi non obvius : quinque specimina, a Dom. Heinecken M.D. olini 

 capta, benigne donavit Rev'*'^ Dom. Lowe; necnon exemplar unicum ad cram Funcbalensem 

 maritimam in marcidis detectum Dom. Rousset nuperrime misit. 



S. squarish-ovate, black with an aeneous tinge, and exceedingly shining. Head rather unequally 

 punctm-ed (only sparingly so behind) ; and with the forehead most narrowly margined at the 

 sides (the margin being totally evanescent in front) . Prothorax almost imperceptibly margined ; 

 with the anterior angles (which have a wide shallow depression within each) regularly rounded, 

 and with the front emargination shallow ; with large and rather deep punctures towards the sides 

 and along the hinder margin. Elytra with their extreme apex sometimes a little picescent; with 

 their posterior region (equalling about one-half of the entire surface, — and concave anteriorly) 

 deeply and distinctly punctured ; and with five deeply-impressed, punctate and very oblique striae 

 down the outer disk of each, extending but slightly behind the middle (of which the third is 

 usually rather the longest, and the inner one incurved to within a short distance of the scutellum), 

 as also a straight but anteriorly-obsolete one close alongside the suture, — the space between the 

 third and fifth striffi being more or less punctured and rugulose. Abdomen rather acuminated, 

 closely and coarsely punctured. Antenna and le(/s dark piceous ; the former with their funiculus 



