290 



CANARIAN COLEOPTERA. 



This seems to be the least scarce of the Canarian AcaJles, though 

 I have hitherto observed it only in TeneriiFe ; but in the sylvan dis- 

 tricts of that island, at intermediate and rather lofty elevations, it 

 IS apparently not very uncommon, occurring in the thickest parts 

 of the forest. Although extremely variable in bulk, and difficult to 

 procure in a perfect (or unrubbed) state, it may usually be recog- 

 nized by the dark scales with which it is densely clothed, which are 

 more or less besprinkled (especially behind the scutellum and across 

 the disc of each elytron) -with ashy ones and somewhat paler bristles ; 

 by its surface being more eqttalhf setose than in any of the other 

 species (the seta3 being longer, and more evidently developed, between 

 the fascicles which stud the nodules) ; by its hastate fascia being 

 (in clean and unabraded examples) rather well defined, both before 

 and posteriorly ; and by its legs and tarsi being somewhat slender. 



The A. acutus may be regarded as the Canai'ian representative of 

 the Madeiran A. dispar, which at first sight it a good deal resembles. 

 It is, however, on the average, a little smaller and more setose than 

 that insect ; its elytra are less deeply sculptured, more pointed at 

 their apex, and with less appearance of the elongate, darker, narrow 

 sutural patch in front of the postmedial fascia ; and its rostrum and 

 feet are just perceptibly slenderer. 



46G. Acalles instabilis, n. sp. 



A. fere nt A. acutus, sed minor, minus setosus ; prothorace ad latera 

 vix rectiore ; elytris posticc ^dx minus coarctatis, fascia postice 

 plerumque magis suffusa ; rostro famiineo paulo levins punctato. 



Var. ij. mundus [an species ?]. Ltetius coloratus, prothorace ad latera 

 paulo magis rotimdato, elytris squamis albidioribus adspersis. [Ins. 

 Palma.] — Long. corp. lin, 1^-3. 



Habitat in sylvaticis subsylvaticisque Canariae, Teneriifte et Palmar, 

 hinc inde haud infrequens. 



Owing to the excessive variability of these Canarian Acalles, both 

 in size and in the arrangement of their scales, and (above all) to the 

 great difficulty of procuring perfect, or unrubbed, specimens, the 

 Hmits of the species are not always easy to define ; and thus, jxxdg- 

 ing from the numerous examples now before me, the present one 

 and the A. acutus would seem. jJrimd facie to merge into each other. 

 Yet I believe that they are nevertheless really distinct, even though 

 the unsatisfactory state of certain more or less abraded specimens 

 may render it doubtful to which of the two they should be assigned. 

 Typically, however, the A. instabilis is smaller and less setose than 

 the acutus, its prothorax is not quite so much rounded at the sides, 



