INSECTA MADERENSIA. 585 



The most abundant of the FMloutlu with Avhich we have here to do, — being 

 universal throughout Madeira and Porto Santo, though princij)ally beneath stones 

 and amongst wet vegetation at the edges of the waterfalls and streams. I have 

 taken it in the neighbourhood of Punchal (where it has been likewise captiu-ed by 

 Professor Heer), in the north of the island (at Sao Vincente and Santa Anna), as 

 also at the Lombo dos Pecegueiros and the Ribeiro Prio, It may be easily known 

 by its small size and narrow outline, by the six punctures of which each of its pro- 

 thoracic dorsal series is composed, by its subquadi"ate head, frequently diluted 

 elytra, and by its pale (though unequally infuscated) legs. It occurs throughout 

 the whole of Europe and in Algeria, and has been received from South America. 

 In our own country it would appear to be more esjiecially attached to the coast, — 

 under which circumstances I have constantly observed it in great profusion. 



§ IV. Prothorax {et caput) sat crehre punctatus, lined media longitudinali Icdvi : palporum articulus 



ultimus magis acuminatus. 



457. Philonthus filiformis, Woll. 



P. angiistissimus filiformis uiger, capite quadrate, elytris subtilissime punctulatis vix dilutioribus, 



antennarum basi pedibusque ferrugineis, femoribus infuscatis. 

 Long. Corp. lin. vix 2. 



Habitat in Madera boreali, rarissimus : ad marginem rivuli cujusdam parvi juxta Sanctam Annam siti 

 sestate a.d. 1850 exemplar unicum cepi. 



P. extremely narrow and linear, and deep black. Head and prothorax highly polished, and nearly 

 glabrous ; the former large and quadrate, coarsely and rather closely punctured all over except 

 quite in the centre (where there are indications of an unpunctured longitudinal line), and with 

 the palpi ferruginous ; the latter likewise coarsely punctured except in the centre (the medial 

 space being broader and better defined than on the head). Elytra rather more diluted, or 

 picescent, than the head and prothorax, — especially at their extreme hinder margin, which is 

 slightly pellucid ; most minutely and somewhat obsoletely punctulated, but rather coarsely pubes- 

 cent. Antenna at base, and the legs, ferruginous, — the femora being a little infuscated. 



The minute size and very narrow filiform outhne of the present insect would be 

 alone sufficient to distinguish it from its Madekan aUies ; but receding as it does 

 in the entire character of its punctuation from the remainder, there can be but 

 little fear of confounding it with any of the other Fhilonthi here described. At 

 first sight indeed it would almost seem to belong to a separate genus ; though in 

 reality it is but the representative of another section, of which there are several 

 members throughout Europe, and in which the head and prothorax are coarsely 

 punctured all over except in the centre,-:— where a medial line is alone free from 

 sculptm*e. The elytra, moreover, of the P. filiformis differ from those of the other 

 species with which we are concerned in being most delicately (and almost obsoletely) 



4 F 



