MADEIRAN COLEOPTERA. _ 47 
134. Tarphius truncatus. 
Tarphius truncatus, Woll., Ins. Mad. 142 (1854). 
Inhabits the sylvan districts of Madeira proper. Exceedingly rare. 
135. Tarphius echinatus. 
Tarphius echinatus, Woll., Ins. Mad. 143 (1854). 
Inhabits the sylvan districts of Madeira proper. Very rare. 
136. Tarphius excisus, n. sp. 
T. oblongus longe setosus piceus, prothorace brevi rugoso, circa 
medium lato dilatato, postice subito et valde angustato (quasi 
utrinque exciso), elytris submaculatis rugosis, interstitiis alternis 
eleyatis interruptis nodos formantibus, antennis brevibus. 
Long. corp. lin. vix 14. 
7. oblong, rusty-piceous (when immature ferruginous), not much 
covered with scales, but clothed with rather long, erect and rigid 
sete. Head and prothorax very rough, being beset with coarse 
and somewhat elevated granules: the latter with a broad, but 
exceedingly faint, dorsal channel, short, much dilated in the middle, 
and rounded from thence anteriorly, but suddenly and greatly 
narrowed (or constricted) behind, so as to appear scooped-out 
before the posterior angles,—which are, themselves, almost right- 
angles. Hlytra parallel at the base, and suddenly bent inwards 
(or truncated) towards their apex ; with the shoulders somewhat 
falling away,—a structure which, in conjunction with the curious 
emargination on either side of the prothorax behind, causes a con- 
siderable cavity to be left on each side (between the shoulders and 
the middle of the prothorax); rugosely granulated and punctured, 
in indistinct longitudinal rows; the alternate interstices obscurely 
raised, yet the interrupted portions of them distinct, and forming 
rather elevated (subrufescent) nodules, or ridges, in the usual posi- 
tions,—the one on either side of the scutellum, at the base, being 
more than ordinarily developed. Limbs rufo-ferruginous,—the 
antenne being particularly short. 

The very singular form of the present Tarphius, which has its 
prothorax greatly rounded and widened in front, but suddenly 
scooped-out behind, so as to appear deeply emarginated towards 
either posterior angle, will, apart from other characters (of which, 
however, its extremely setose surface and very short antenne should 
be especially observed), at once distinguish it from the remainder of 
the genus here enumerated. It is moreover peculiarly interesting, 
topographically, as being the second species yet detected beyond 
Madeira proper; and the only one which is apparently peculiar to , 
