INSECTA MADERENSIA. 217 



the entire surface) finely but distinctly punctured ; and with five deep, subpunctate and oblique 

 striae (not quite so oblique however as those of the S. nitidulus) down the outer disk of each, 

 extending but slightly behind the middle (of which the second is rather the longest, the outer, 

 or marginal one obscure, angulated and broken, and the inner one incurved to within a short 

 distance of the scutellum, where it joins) a straight and entire (though anteriorly lightly im- 

 pressed) one close alongside the suture, —the space between the third and fifth strife being a little 

 punctured and rugulose. Abdomen closely and coarsely punctured. Antmna and legs bright 

 rufo-piceous ; the la(/er with theu- anterior tibiae spinulose externally, — the number of the spines 

 being usually about eight or nine. 



A very distinct species ; and one whicli may be known from the other Saprini 

 here described by its more rounded outline and brassy hue, and by its bright rufo- 

 piceous limbs ; by the anterior angles of its prothorax being wider and somewhat 

 obliquely truncated (instead of uniformly rounded) at theii- apex, by the general 

 fineness of its punctuation, and by the spinules of its front tibia; being about 

 eight in munber*. It is apparently somewhat scarce. I possess an old specimen 

 taken by the late Dr. Heinecken near Fimchal ; and I have myself observed it, 

 sparingly, in company mth the ,S'. metallicus, in Porto Santo,— as also on the 

 Dezerta Grande, where I captm^ed a single individual dm*ing my encampment 

 there, with the Eev. R. T. Lowe, at the end of May 1850. It is an insect of rather 

 wide geographical range, but is not very abundant tlu-oughout Em-ope, — occurring 

 principally in Mediterranean latitudes. It is recorded as tolerably common in 

 Barbary and Algeria. There are African examples in the British Museum ; and I 

 have seen others, in the collection of Mr. Waterhouse, from the Cape of Good 

 Hope : whilst it is stated by Paykull to have been received even from the East 

 Indies. 



171. Saprinus metaUicixs. 



S. suboblongo-quadi-atus jeneus, vel aenescenti-niger, vel etiam subcyanescenti-niger, nitidus, capite 

 fortiter margiuato impunctato sed antice rugoso, prothorace versus latera leviter substriguloso-, 

 sed per marginem posticum profunde, punctato, elytro singulo striis quinque dimidiatis obliquis 

 (externa angulata fracta) et una suturali recta Integra distincta impresso, parte postica (dimidio 

 paulo majore) crebre punctata, antennis pedibusque picescentibus, tibiis anticis quinque-dentatis. 



Long. Corp. lin. ]|-1|. 



Ulster metallicus, Herbst, Xdf. iv. 32 (1792). 



, Fab. Syst. Eleu. i. 89 (1801). 



Saj>rinus metallicus, Erich, in King Jalirl. i. 195 (ISSi). 



Habitat per oram maritimam Portus Sancti, a meipso copiose repertus. 



* In general contour, the -S. clialcites slightly resembles the common European (S*. ceneus ; nevertheless 

 a closer examination will show- that it does in reality recede from it in most of the distinctive characters 

 above enumerated, — though especially in its elyti-al striae (which are altogether dissimilar), in the shape of 

 its prothorax (with its peculiarly sub truncated anterior angles), in its less deeply pimctulated suiiace, and 

 m the somewhat greater robustness of its frout-tibial spines. 



2r 



