OF PHILADELPHIA. 275 



5. L. SCINCTILLANS.— Light brown J thorax rosaceous, with 

 a yellowish margin and central black spot ; elytra with a yellow- 

 ish margin. 



Lam])}/ris pyralis, Melsh. Catal. 



Body oblong : head blackish, more or less tinged with rufous ; 

 mouth paler ; antennae brown : thorax regularly arcuated before 

 and on each side ; bright rosaceous, with a black central spot 

 and impressed line ; anterior and lateral margins pale yellowish ; 

 posterior Q^g& very slightly arcuated, which extends equally 

 from one angle to the other : elytra pale brown, with a narrow 

 exterior, siitural and terminal margin. 



Length nearly three-tenths of an inch. 



This is our very abundant " Fire-fly," and is familiar to every 

 inhabitant of this country. It is very like the centrata nob., 

 but is much smaller and of a much jialer color. With the late 

 Mr. Melsheirtfer, I have always hitherto considered this species 

 to be the [165] ji>y?'«//s of authors; but on a careful comparison 

 with their descriptions, and particularly that of Olivier and his 

 figure, I have, after much hesitation, concluded that it is dis- 

 tinct from that species. The p//ralis is described to be equal in 

 size to the sj)lendidula and noct'duc.a, but our species is smaller ; 

 my chief reliance, however, is on the figure given by Olivier, 

 which is beyond all doubt that of a widely difierent species from 

 the present. 



The female differs from the male in having the elytra imper- 

 fect, being not more than one-third the length of the abdomen ; 

 they are, however, margined like those of the male. 



[Belongs to Phot'mus. — Lkc] 



^ CANTHARIS Fabr. Dej. 



1. C. TOMENTOSA. — Rufous ] elytra blackish, covered with 

 short hairs ; thorax truncated before. 



Cantharis tomentosa Melsh. Catal. 



Head prominent, somewhat elongated and attenuated behind the 

 eyes, glabrous, rufous: antennae dusky, pale rufous at base, second 

 and third joints equal : thorax rufous, subglabrous, with very min- 

 ute hairs, polished; lateral margins narrow, more depressed behind; 

 anterior margin truncated ; a longitudinal acute impressed line; 

 1825.] 



