CANARIAN COLEOPTERA. 177 



elongated in the metallicus, reaching scarcely to the middle ; and its 

 surface has a more conspicuously cenescent tinge. 



The /S, mundus is not uncommon in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura ; 

 and in the sandy region of Grand Canary between Las Pabnas and 

 the Isleta I captured two specimens which are uniformly of a pure 

 aeneous hue, like the S. chalcites ; but I hardly think they are more 

 than a variety of the present species. Nevertheless their third and 

 fourth dorsal striae are a little longer than is the case in the ordinary 

 type, and their mesostenium has a slight tendency to be obsoletely 

 punctured. 



289. Saprinus erosus, n. sp. 



S. niger postice picescens, nitidus ; fronte marginata, carina trans- 

 versa bisinuata, antice irregulariter transversim bistrigosa ; pro- 

 thorace magno, convexo, leviter striguloso-punctato, in disco pos- 

 tico laevi, intra angidos anticos (obtusos) hand impresso ; elytris 

 postice in medio leviter et parce punctatis, striis profundis crenatis, 

 humerali indistincta a subhumerali disjuncta, lnia_4tam dorsalibus 

 paulo ultra medium postice continuatis ; prostemo striis antice sub- 

 approximatis subparaUelis, mox ante apicem confluentibus, ad basin 

 paulo divergentibus ; mesosterno longiusculo, impunctato ; antennis 

 pedibusque (crassis) rufo-piceis ; tibiis anticis pone apicem profunde 

 erosis, ante excavationem dentibus 2 obtusis subconfluentibus et 

 pone excavationem dente singulo obtuso armatis, posterioribus 

 longe, dense et grosse ciliato-spinulosis ; calcaribus posterioribus 

 elongatis, robustis ; tarsis valde incrassatis, setosis, subconicis. — 

 Long. corp. lin. 1|. 



Habitat Fuerteventuram,subrejectamentis per Htora maris repertus. 



Had I but a single example to judge from, I might perhaps have 

 been inclined to consider the curious excavation, or cavity, in the 

 outer edge of the front tibiae of this insect as accidental ; but since 

 it exists equally, and without the slightest variation, in six specimens 

 from which the above diagnosis has been drawn out, I am compelled 

 to regard it as a most remarkable specific feature. The two teeth, 

 moreover, between this sinus and the apex are short, obtuse, and 

 subconjluent ; and a similarly blunt one exists behind it, — after which 

 the margin is hardly perceptibly serrated. Apart, however, from this 

 peculiarity of its anterior tibiae, the S. erosus may be distinguished 

 by its black but posteriorly piceous hue ; by its large and convex 

 prothorax, which has its front angles obtusely prominent (and 7iot 

 obliquely truncated) ; by its frontal keel being bisinuated (instead of 

 istraight), and its forehead branded with two rather irregular trans- 

 verse strigae ; by its elytra being only lightly and sparingly punctured 

 behind ; by its rufo-piceous legs being exceedingly thick and robust 



