C^NARIAN (X)LEOPTEKA. 105 



This very distinct little insect, so remarkable {inter alia) for its 

 6-jointed funiculus, and tlie immense outwardly-directed spine into 

 which the inner apical angle of its fore tibiae is merged, as also for 

 its keeled prosternum, which is much produced in front and elon- 

 gated into a lobe (instead of being excavated) behind, whilst the meso- 

 sternum is scooped-out at the central point of contact, to receive this 

 hinder prosternal process, has been so fully described in my Paper 

 on the " Euphorbia-infesting Coleoptera of the Canaries" (lately pub- 

 lished in the ' Transactions of the Ent. Soc, of London') that I need 

 not enter here into its many peculiarities. It appears to be con- 

 fined (so far as observed hitherto) to the rotten Eu2)horbia-stems, — 

 beneath the damp putrid bark of which it resides, in company with 

 the numerous other insects of similar habits. There can be little 

 douot that it is universal throughout the archipelago ; although I did 

 not happen to meet with it in Palma. But in Lanzarote, Euerte- 

 ventura, Grand Canary, TenerifFe, and Hierro T have captured it, 

 more or less abundantly ; and it was found, during the spring of 

 1862, by Dr. Crotch, near San Sebastian, in Gomera. In Lanzarote 

 it was taken also by Mr. Gray ; and I detected it even in the little 

 island of Lobes, off the north of Fuerteventiu'a. It has been dis- 

 covered during the past year in Madeira, — where four examples of 

 it were obtained by Mr. Bewicke, from out of the decayed branches 

 of Euphorbias, in the east of the island. 



Genus 120. HISTER. 

 Linnaeus, Si/st. Nat. ii. 56G (1767). 



276. Hister major. 



Hister major, Linn., Syst. Nat. ii. 506 (1767). 



, BruUe, in Webb et Berth. {Col.) 50 (1838). 



, de Marseul, Ann. de la Soc. Ent. de France, (3ienie s^rie) ii. 



173. pi. 6. f. 4 (1854). 



, WolL, Ins. Mad. 210 (1854). 



, Id., Cat. Mad. Col. 74 (1857). 



Habitat in inferioribus Canariae et Teneriffae, minus frequens. 



The H. major, which is found throughout southern Europe and 

 northern Africa, and which occurs sparingly in the Madeiran Group, 

 appears to be somewhat scarce in these islands. I have taken it in 

 Grand Canary ; and it has been communicated by the Bev. B. T. Lowe 

 from Orotava, and by the Barao do Castello de Paiva from S*^" Cruz, 

 in Teneriffe. 



277. Hister canariensis, n. sp. 

 H. subquadrato-ovalis, niger, nitidus ; stria frontali arcuata ; pro- 



