(j04 INSECTA MADERENSIA. 



subcurvatis utrinque impresso, necnon per marginem anticum spinis duobus porrectis acutis 

 armato : abdominis segmento sexto subtus obsolete emarginato ; septimo ia medio late sed leviter 

 impresso (impressione scutiformi ad basin emarginato-truncata, glabra politissima, posterius ad 

 latera carina utrinque terminata), postice inter carinas emarginato, necnon inter carinas et latera 

 utrinque bi-inciso (aut potius in dentem obliquum obtusum parvum producto). 

 Fmm., capite protboracis vix latitudine, sulcis infra marginem lateralem obsoletis, et per marginem 

 anticum iaarmato : abdominis segmeuto sexto subtus truncato, sed in media parte postica obsolete 

 subtriangulariter elevato ; septimo producto rotuudato. 

 Variat elytris pedibusque omnino testaceis, antennarum basi ferruginea. 

 Long. corp. lin. l-lj. 



Habitat Maderam borealem, rarior : per marginem rivuli cujusdam parvi ad Sanctam Annam (humi 

 lutoso apricitate cursitantia) mense Julio a.d. 1850 plurima specimina coUegi. 



P. minute, black, and exceedingly shining. Head about as sparingly punctured as in the last species, 

 but with au abbreviated and distinct (though very narrow and lightly impressed) channel arising 

 from the medial angle of the basal transverse line, and extending to about the centre of the disk ; 

 the forehead with its extreme lateral edges much the same as in that insect, but with the two 

 irregular inner furrows (on either side) obsolete in the female sex, though very deep and exceed- 

 ingly well-defined in the males. Prothorax the same as in the P. spinosus, but more coarsely 

 and remotely punctured and rather more shining. Elytra, likewise, a little more distantly and 

 deeply punctured than is the case in that species, and usually more diluted in colouring, — having 

 generally more or less of a piceo-testaceous tinge (and in pale, or immature specimens being 

 often altogether lurid-testaceous). Antenme sxnX femura piceous-black ; tibue and tarsi pale- 

 testaceous. (In the lighter varieties the entire legs are testaceous, and the base of the antenna- 

 is ferniginous.) 

 Male, with the head a little wider than the anterior portion of the prothorax, and with its front 

 margin (between the antennae) armed with two porrected (though rather outwardly curved) and 

 exceedingly acute spines. The abdomen beneath with the sixth segment obsoletely emarginated ; 

 and with the seventh widely but lightly impressed in the centre (the impression shield-shaped, 

 being pointed at one end, but truncated and emarginated at the other ; glabrous and highly 

 polished, and with its edges raised on either side posteriorly into an oblique keel), emarginated 

 behind between the keels, and somewhat jagged (or twice incised) between either keel and edge, 

 — or, more strictly perhaps, produced into a small oblique and obtuse tooth outside each of the 

 carina;. 

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

 front margin unarmed. The abdomen beneath with the sixth segment truncated, but somewhat 

 triangularly elevated in its central region, — especially behind (where the apex of the triangle is 

 quite perceptible, though it does not project beyond the edge) ; and with the seventh produced 

 and rounded. 



In size, sculptufc, general contour, and colouring the pi'esent little Flatysthetus 

 very much resembles the P. nodifi'ons, — with Avhich indeed, until I had subjected 

 it to a critical examination, I had supposed it to be identical. Apart from minor 

 distinctions, however, it may be at once recognised from that species, not only by 



