CANARIAN COLEOPTEKA. 469 



punctatus (punctis in elytris sensim minoribus et vix subasperatis) ; 

 prothorace subconico, tenuiter marginato, angulis posticis rotun- 

 datis ; antennis fulvo-pilosis pedibusque rufo-piceis. — Long. corp. 

 lin. l|-24-. 



Habitat Lanzarotam et Fuerteventuram, ad radices plantarum in 

 arenosis maritimis et submaritimis fodiens. Species in honorem Prof. 

 Th. Lacordaire, per tot annos Historise Naturalis et prsesertim Ento- 

 mologiae magistri, dicata. 



Apparently not uncommon in certain spots, adjoining the sea-beach, 

 in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura — where it burrows into the sand at 

 the roots of plants, in company with the Arthrodes subcUiatus and 

 costlfrons, the Onydiolips bifurcatus, Pentatemnus arenarius, Saprinus 

 lobatus, and other insects of similar habits. Under such circumstances 

 it was taken by Mr. Gray and myself, at the end of January 1858, 

 to the south of Puerto de Cabras, in Fuerteventura ; and during the 

 spring of the following year I met with it more abundantly in the 

 sandy region at Corralejo, at the extreme north of that island, as 

 weU as to the south of Arrecife in Lanzarote. I captured an insect 

 on the sand-hills to the south of Mogadore, on the opposite coast of 

 Africa (close to the Emperor of Morocco's unfinished palace), which 

 may perhaps be a second species of Melanochrus* . 



Fam. 65. BLAPID^. 



Genus 266. BLAPS. 

 Fabricius, Syst. Ent. 254 (1775). 



707. Blaps gages. 



Tenebrio gages, Linn., St/st. Nat. ii. 676 [script., per err., giyas] (1767 ). 

 Blaps gages, Brtdle, in Webb et Berth. {Col.) 68 (1838). 



* The present position being the proper one for the Akindce, I should mention 

 that the Akls acuminata of Fabricius is I'ecorded by M. BruUe as Canarian, on 

 the evidence of specimens supposed to have been captured by Messrs. Webb and 

 Berthelot. I examined them, when in Paris ; but as I feel considerable doubt 

 whether they are truly Canarian, I cannot admit tiie species into this Catalogue. 

 It is far from impossible that it may occur in these islands ; but, at the same 

 time, I think it much ■more likely that the examples were obtained (perhaps alive) 

 at S'* Cruz, having been brought over accidentally in some of the trading vessels 

 from the coast of Africa. Such importations are both natural and by no means 

 unfrequent ; and, indeed, I have now before me specimens of a large Scaurus, a 

 Timelia, an Erodius, and of the Scarites yigas which were picked up by Dr. Crotch 

 on the Mole at S'* Cruz — escaped from the actual steamer in which he had himself 

 arrived from Moyadore (the insects having been captured by liimself and the 

 sailors on the little island off that port, and afterwards allowed to run loose on 

 board the vessel) ! I conceive it very probable, therefore, that the Akis may have 

 made its appearance in much the same way ; or that, at all events, further evidence 

 is necessary before it can be conscientiously cited as Canarian. 



