MADEIRAN COLEOPTERA, 149 
spinosis ; posterioribus calcari singulo armatis: tasis omnibus in 
utroque sexu 5-articulatis, articulis (ultimo longiore excepto) inter 
se subsequalibus. 
A arepeds solidus. 
The curious little insect (so accurately drawn by Mr. Westwood) 
from which the above structural characters have been compiled, 
agrees in its 3-jointed club, unkeeled mesosternum, and the penta- 
merous feet of both its sexes, with Z’riarthron; nevertheless, in 
all its other details it differs essentially from that genus. In its 
exceedingly thickened, suborbicular body indeed (which, at first 
sight, much resembles that of aminute Cercyon), and very short and 
robust limbs, as well as in the armature of its immensely developed, 
uncovered mandibles, and its dilated, spinose tibiee (which, like those 
of the Cercyons, seem constituted for burrowing), it presents a com- 
bination of features peculiarly its own; whilst the powerful tooth 
with which the hinder femora of its males are furnished will serve 
additionally to distinguish it. Its prothorax is of the exact width 
posteriorly as the base of the elytra, over which the extreme (and 
subpellucid) hinder margin of its pronotum slips,—concealing more 
or less of the scutellum, according as the head is upraised or deflected ; 
and indeed when the latter is in an entirely horizontal position, the 
scutellum is altogether invisible from above. 
431. Stereus Cercyonides, n. sp. (fig. 1). 
S. orbiculato-ovatus niger vel piceus glaber nitidus parce et sub- 
tilissime punctulatus, capite vix picescentiore, antennis pedibusque 
picco-testaceis, ilarum elava obscuriore. 
Long. corp. lin. 2-1. 
S. orbiculate-ovate, exceedingly convex, black or piceous-black (rarely 
altogether piceous), shining, entirely free from pubescence, most 
densely and delicately alutaceous (or, as it were, subgranulated) all 
over, and very sparingly beset with most minutely impressed points. 
Head generally a little more piceous than the prothorax and elytra. 
Prothorax with its extreme hinder margin more or less pellucid 
and diluted in colouring, but appearing concolorous with the rest 
of the surface when it is closely applied over the base of the elytra 
and the scutellum. Limbs piceo-testaceous; except the club of 
the antennz, which is somewhat darker. 
Detected by myself in Madeira proper, during the summer of 1855. 
It is apparently very rare, and confined to the sylvan districts of 
intermediate altitudes,—-in which positions I captured it, at the head 
of the Santa Cruz ravine (at 8. Antonio da Serra), as also at the 
Lombo de Vaca, beneath moist, decaying leaves on the damp ground. 
