Mr. A. Murray on the Genus Cercyon. 85 



in the form of a beak at the sutural angle at the apex, anteriorly 

 of a reddish brown, marked with a black line along and a black 

 line down the suture for a third of its length, assuming the ap- 

 pearance of a black X > brown in their middle, with the posterior 

 part and external margin of a livid testaceous red. Mesosternal 

 plate linear. 



■ Var. B. Elytra nut-brown or black-brown, with the black line 

 on the base and suture not distinguishable. 



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



This species generally figures in British collections as C. sutu- 

 rale. I do not think Stephens knew what the true flavipes was. 

 His species under that name, as I have already shown, was Me- 

 gastemum Boletophagum. The black marks at the base of the 

 elytra and down the suture forming a black X readily distin- 

 guish it when these marks are decidedly present; they are, 

 however, sometimes not observable, when the form of the elytra 

 and of the mesosternal plate, coupled with the prolongation at 

 the apex of the elytra, will distinguish it. The elytra are less 

 rounded behind than the preceding species, and the mesosternal 

 plate linear. The prolongation at the apex of the elytra is some- 

 times very distinct, so much so as almost to take the form of a 

 beak, as if some one had taken the apex of the elytra when soft 

 close to the suture and given it a pinch with their nails, but 

 generally it has more the appearance of a small indentation. 



Common. 



C. melanocephalum, Linn., Steph., Muls. 



Oval oblong, less rounded posteriorly, convex, shining, and 

 finely punctate above. Head and prothorax black. Elytra 

 often slightly prolonged hke an obtuse beak at the sutural angle 

 at the apex, testaceous red, paler towards the apex, with a tri- 

 angular patch upon and around the scutellum, and the base of 

 the external margin black with shght striae, often little visibly 

 punctate on the back. 



Length 1 to ly line ; breadth f to |^ line. 



This is a common species, whose colour is pretty constant, and 

 is easily known by its red elytra with a black triangular scutellar 

 patch. The var. impressum of homiorrhoidale and the var. con- 

 spur catum oi pygmaum both have a similar triangular patch, but 

 the former is so much larger and the latter so much smaller 

 than this, as at once to suggest a query as to their species, when 

 their other characters will prevent their being confounded. 



Very common. 



Mulsant notices another species, C erythropterum, which 



