80 Mr. A. Murray on the Genus Cercyon. 



Var. C. C. impressum, Sturm, Steph. 



Black, with the elytra red except a triangular black patch at 

 the middle of the base of the elytra surrounding the scutellum, 

 and the margins of the base of the elytra also black extending 

 to the triangular patch. 



Length 1| to li line ; breadth ^ to 1 line. 



This species is easily recognized by the dimple on the thorax 

 immediately in front of the scutellum, and by its hump-shouldered 

 appearance. The variety impressum is coloured like melanoce- 

 phalum, but is known by the above characters. Not rare. 



C hcemorrhoum, Gyll., Steph., Muls. 

 hcemorrhoidale, Fab. 

 melanocephalum, var. /3. Illig. 

 xanthorrheum, Leach, Steph. 



Oval, less rounded posteriorly, densely marked with small 

 punctures above. Head and prothorax brilliant black ; prothorax 

 sensibly longer in the middle than on the sides, and more ele- 

 vated a little in front than at the base. Elytra subconvex on the 

 back, convexly subperpendicular on the sides ; black, passing 

 rather abruptly to red in the posterior third part, with the suture 

 black ; with very marked striae, the dorsal ones less distinctly 

 punctate. 



Length 1 to If line; breadth ^ to 1 line. 



This species is not so easily recognized at first sight as the 

 last, but it also has a distinctive mark which fixes it. On look- 

 ing at the insect sideways, its thorax is seen to differ in shape 

 from all the others. In them the thorax gradually rises from 

 the head until it meets the elytra, which join it without dis- 

 turbing the general curve of the body. Seen sideways the whole 

 body looks like the segment of a circle. In hcemorrhoum this is 

 not the case ; the thorax rises from the head in a curve, but be- 

 fore reaching the elytra it falls again, and the elytra commence 

 their rise from the thorax, so that the profile is that of two seg- 

 ments of a circle meeting at the base of the thorax. The suture 

 also is dark at the apex, while in most other pale-tailed species 

 it is concolorous. 



Rare. I have taken one specimen in Scotland. 



C laterale, Steph., Muls. 



Shortly oval or suboviform ; moderately convex and thickly 

 marked with small punctures above. Head and prothorax black ; 

 prothorax reddish brown on the sides. Elyti-a becoming nar- 

 rower from a third of their length ; of a red-brown paler towards 

 the extremity ; with eleven narrow striae, marked with round 



