542 CANARIAN COLEOPTERA. 



cens, densissime subtilissimeque (vix perspicue) alutacea punc- 

 tiilisque minutis levibus erebre irrorata ; prothorace tenuissime 

 canaliculato ; pedibus paiilo dihitioribus (sc. nigro-testaceis), tarsis 

 fere testaceis. — Long. corp. lin. 1. 



Homalota nigra, Kraatz, Nat. tier Ins. Deidscli. ii. 287 (1858). 



Habitat insulas Canarienses, in Fuerteventura sola adhue baud 

 detecta. 



The small size, ratber flattened, minutely pubescent, very sligbtly 

 shining surface, and deep-black hue of this little Homalota (the legs 

 alone, which are blackish testaceous, being slightly paler) will suffi- 

 ciently distinguish it. It is doubtless universal throughout the archi- 

 pelago, in all the islands of which, except Fuerteventura and Gomera, 

 I have myself eaptiu'ed it ; and an extensive series of Gomeran speci- 

 mens are now before me which were taken by Dr. Crotch. It remains, 

 therefore, to be detected only in Fuerteventura. It is more common 

 within the sylvan districts of intermediate altitudes than elsewhere 

 (and therefore rarer in the two eastern islands of the Group) — occur- 

 ring beneath fallen leaves and other vegetable refuse. My Grand- 

 Canarian examples are principally from the region of El Monte ; the 

 Teneriffan ones from the hills towards Laguna, Taganana, Las Mer- 

 cedes, the Agua Garcia, La Esperanza, the Agua Mansa, Tcod el 

 Alto, and even from so low an elevation as the vicinity of S''^ Crnz 

 and the Puerto Orotava ; and the Palman ones from the Barranco de 

 Galga. I cannot see that it differs appreciably from the European 

 H. nigra, to which I have accordingly referred it. 



817. Homalota aleocharoides, n. sp. 



H. subconvexa, fusca capite nigreseentiore, subnitida, dense pubes- 

 cens, parce minuteque punctulata ; prothorace transverse, versus 

 latera interdum obsolete subpellucido-pallidiore ; antennis nigres- 

 centibus, ad basin pedibusque saturate testaceis. — Long. corp. lin. 1 . 



HaBitat Teneriffam, a W. D. Crotch sat copiose lecta. 



At once known from the preceding species by its broader (and some- 

 what shorter) outline, convexer, unalutaceous, sparingly punctured 

 surface, and browner hue (the head alone being quite black) ; by its 

 prothorax having a very obscure tendency to become a little paler (or 

 subpeDucid) towards either side ; and by its legs being testaceous. It 

 is an insect which I did not myself observe at the Canaries, but of 

 which a rather extensive series is now before me which was taken 

 by Dr. Crotch (during the spring of 1862) in Teneriffe. Prima facie 

 it is somewhat suggestive of a very minute Aleochara, as indeed I 

 have implied in its trivial name. 



