68 SERRICORNIA, [ Buprestide. 
our old catalogues; occasionally exotic species have been found in Britain under 
curious circumstances, which seem to show that they may exist for a great many 
years in the larval state. 
The four British genera may be distinguished as follows:— 
I. Tarsi elongate. 
i. Thorax truncate af base; posterior cox scarcely dis- 
tant, with the plates distinctly dilated internally . . ANTHAXIA, Esch, 
ii. Thorax excised and sinuate at base; posterior cox 
widely distant, with the plates scarcely dilated in- 
termally 6% 2 bw Se Se et eS Soe © k, « GRIDS, Bor 
II. Tarsi short; posterior cox widely distant. 
i. Antenne with the four last joints serrate ; prosternum 
acuminate at apex; bodyelongate . . . . . . ApuHanisticus, Latr. 
ii. Antenne with the five last joints serrate; prosternum 
rounded at apex; body short and broad . . . . . TRacuys, F, 
ANTHAZXIA, Eschscholtz. 
a 
This genus contains upwards of a hundred and fifty species, which are 
very widely distributed, but are less characteristic of tropical climates 
than the greater part of the genera belonging to the family; they range 
from Siberia to the south of South America, and right across Europe, 
Asia, and North America; more than fifty species are found in Europe; 
they are small but very brilliantly coloured insects, and often occur 
abundantly on flowers in Southern Europe; at the least alarm, however, 
of a passing footstep or a shadow they take to flight, or gather in their 
limbs and drop among the herbage, a habit which is common to a large 
number of the Buprestide, and to many other conspicuous and brightly 
coloured insects, such as the Sagridze and many of the Curculionide. 
The larva of Anthawxia candens is described by Schiddte (Part iv, p. 373); it is 
remarkable for the size of the prothorax, which is three times as broad as the 
middle of the abdomen, and it is furnished with two large scansorial warty promi- 
nences on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the metathorax ; the whole surface 
of the larve of the Anthaxiz, except the head and prothoracic scuta, is covered with 
small transverse folds, and is sparingly pilose. 
A. nitidula, L. Oblong, subparallel, of a beautiful golden green 
colour, shining, with the sculpture of tle upper surface finely rugose, 
which gives it a frosted appearance; head much narrower than thorax, 
eyes large, antenne of a dark metallic colour; thorax almost double as 
broad as long, truncate at base, transversely rugose, with sides rounded 
in front, posterior angles almost right angles; scutellum distinct, 
roundish; elytra subparallel, but rather sharply narrowed before apex, 
depressed, with thick and shallow rugose sculpture; under-side shining; 
legs rather long and slender, more or less metallic. L. 4-5 mm. 
On flowers of whitethorn and celandine in May and June; very rare; taken near 
Brockenhurst by Turner, Dr, Power, and others; Dr. Power informed me shortly 
before his death that the plant on which the beetle was chiefly taken was the 
common celandine, Ranunculus ficrria; it las usually been supposed to have 
