INSECTA MADERENSIA. 605 



the armed lieacls of its males (which have a long and acute spine on either side of 

 tlieir anterior margin), hut likewise hy the structure of the abdominal segments of 

 both sexes. From the P. spinosits it not merely recedes in its diminutive bulk, 

 brighter and more deeply (though sparingly) punctured surface, and in the 

 different hue of its elytra and legs, but also in its perceptible (though abbreviated) 

 frontal canal, and in the modification of the under side of its abdomen, — which 

 displays abundant points of dissimilarity from what has been ah'eady pointed out 

 as characteristic of that insect, and amongst which the somewhat triangularly 

 elevated central region of the sixth segment of the females, and the bicarinated 

 seventh one of the males, should be especially remarked. Like the P. spmosus, it 

 is apparently extremely local, — but, so far as I have hitherto observed, it is 

 confined to Madeira proper. The only spot in fact in which I have taken it is at 

 Santa Anna, in the north of the island, — where, diu'ing the sunmier of 1850, I 

 captured a large series of specimens from amongst wet mud at the edges of a 

 small stream which finds its way across the road leading down to the sea from 

 the Quinta of Senhor Louiz Acciaioly. 



Genus 209. OXYTELUS. 



Gravenhorst, Col. Micropt. 101 (1802). 



Corpus parvum, elongato-lineare, depressum et fere glabrum : capite porrecto, prothorace immisso (in 

 maribus ssepius paulo majore) ; oculis vel mediocribus vel parvis, subo\"alibus, plerumqiie pro- 

 minulis : prothorace trausverso, basi subrotundato, in dorso sfepius longitudiualiter trisulcato, ad 

 latera interdum crenulato, sed sjepius integro : alis amplis : abdomine lineari marginato, sursum 

 reflectendo, subtus secundum sexum diverse. Antenna, insti-umenta cibaria et pedes fere ut in 

 Platystheto, sed palporum labialium articulus seciindus lougior ; paraglossa liberae ; et tarsorum 

 articulus ultimus minus elongatus. 



The Oxyteli are in most points of theu' structure nearly identical with the 

 Platystheti : nevertheless they may be recognised from them by their usually more 

 opake and minutely strigulose siu-faces, by their somewhat flatter bodies, and bv 

 theh' prothorax being almost invariably trlsulcated down its disk, — the central 

 groove of which is straight (being in fact the ordinary dorsal channel), whilst the 

 one on either side is more or less curved, sinuated, and distinct, according to the 

 successive modifications which the several members of the group display. They 

 are insects which are widely distributed over the world, — 17 species having been 

 recorded as European, whilst others are enumerated from Xorth and South 

 America, India, Madagascar and the Cape of Good Hope. They are of a burrowing 

 nature, and for the most part of stercoraceous habits (though a few are occasionaUv 

 to be met with on wet mud in marshy spots), — being principally moreover exceed- 

 ingly gregarious, and consequently appearing oftentimes to be more abundant 

 specifically than they really are. 



