TNSECTA MADERENSIA. 603 



less angulated, impressed line, — the basal segment which it encloses being about two-thirds of 

 the entire breadth of the head; with scarcely any indication of the abbreviated central channel 

 (though with a slight triangular fovea) which in nearly all the described species arises from the 

 medial (or apical) angle of this basal line : the forehead with its extreme lateral edges much 

 straightened and elevated (forming a longitudinal ridge above the eyes), with a groove imme- 

 diately alongside them, and with veiy faint indications of two irregular furrows on either side 

 within ; and with its anterior angles (beneath which the antennse are inserted) enlarged, some- 

 what inflated or prominent, and obtuse. Prothorax with the sides and base greatly rounded ; 

 rather more densely, but not quite so coarsely, punctured as the head ; and with a much larger 

 puncture (or rounded fovea) on either side of the centre of its anterior margin. Elytra a little 

 less shining, and rather more finely punctured, than the prothorax, with a slight tendency to be 

 diluted in colouring behind; and with a finely impressed and curved sutural line on each*. 

 Antenna and femora almost black ; tibia piceo-ferruginous ; tarsi pale testaceous. 



Male not yet detected in the Madeira Islands (but differing, according to Eriehson, from the female 

 in the seventh segment of its abdomen beneath being truncated, instead of produced, and armed 

 at the apex with two distant teeth). 



Female, with the head scarcely narrower than the anterior portion of the prothorax ; and with the 

 seventh segment of the abdomen beneath somewhat triangularly produced, — though rounded and 

 entire at its apex. 



Altliough the single specimen from which the above diagnosis has been ch'a'mi 

 out is larger than the size given by Eriehson for the species with which I have 

 iclentifiecl it, I have but little doubt that it is correctly referred to the P. spinostis, 

 — an insect which is recorded both in Portugal and Trance, and with the descrip- 

 tion of which it in other respects perfectly agrees. It is apparently extremely 

 local (if not indeed scarce), — my unique example having been captured by myself 

 at the edges of a sandy road in the immediate vicinity of the Cidade of Porto 

 Santo, during December of 1848. It was taken, whilst bm*rowing into the soil, 

 from beneath a stone; and in all probability it would be found in abundance if 

 that particular district (which produced many other rarities, amongst which the 

 only individual hitherto detected of the Syncalypta horrida should be especially 

 noticed) were properly searched. 



§ II. MandihulcB ad apicem ipsumfissm. 



472. Platysthetus fossor, Woll. 



P. niger nitidus parce sed profuude punctatus, fronte postice leviter canaliculata, elytris interdum 

 testaceo-picescentibus, tibiis tarsisque pallido-testaceis. 

 Mas, capite prothorace vix latiore, longe infra marginem lateralem sulcis duobus longitudinalibus 



* I have gone thus minutely into the sculpture of the upper surface of the P. spinosus, because it is 

 the same which obtains (subjected to minor modifications for the various species) throughout the Platy- 

 sfhefi generally, — and is therefore the more important to be noticed. 



4h2 



