the Atlantic Cossonidcs. 401 



fion of tlie Biitisli Isles, and to tlie i^allkUpennis of the Mediter- 

 ranean latitudes ; the others are smaller, more or less fusiform 

 (i. e. not so parallel) in outline, and are even still more gregarious 

 than their allies. In both sections, however, they are eminently 

 variable, as to stature, — some examples being more than double the 

 size of others ; so that it is necessary to have an extensive series* 

 in order to determine the specific limits, and to draw out their 

 several diagnoses correctly. 



§ I. Corpus plerisqiic sat magnum, parallelum ; femor'thus omnibus 



muticis. 



3k Mesites coviplanatus, n. sp. 

 it/, atro-piceus (rare piceus), latiusculus, valde dcpressus, fcro 

 calvus ; fronte inter oculos profunde longitudinal iter fo- 

 'veolata; prothorace valde profunde et sat crebre punctato, 

 distincte carinato nccnon postice in medio impresso, ad latcra 

 rotundato-ampliato ; elytris valde profunde crenato-striatis 

 (striis magnis latissimis), interstitiis angustis costatis ; antcn- 

 nis piceis ; pedibus nigro-piceis. 

 Mas. — Rostro elongate, punctulato, ad antennarum insertioneni 

 paulo rotundato-ampliato. 



Fcem. — Rostro breviore, graciliore, tereti, polito, rufo-piceo, 

 mox pone antennarum insertioneni (/. e. mox ante basin ipsam) 

 paulo ampliato. 



Long. corp. lin. 3 — 5g. 



Habitat regiones editiores sylvaticas ins. Palmce, sub corticc 

 laurorum laxo hinc inde sat vulgaris. 



shining, in its male rostrum being more ([iiadiately expanded at llie implantalioii 

 of the antennffi, and in that of its female sex having its small dilatation a lilllc 

 further removed from the anterior margin of the eyes, as well as by its elytral 

 interstices being less evidently punctulated. 



* 1 may add that, out of 1,035 specimens of the IMadeiran and Canarian 

 Mesites which I have lately examined (and which are exclusive of those which 

 have formerly passed under my eye), I find them distributed as follows : — whicli 

 will serve to show, inter alia, ihal the sexes are pretty equally abundant : — 



$ 2 



complmuitus t)6 -f" 69 = '35 



persimilis 70 -f- 87 = 1 57 



maderemis 80+124= 20-t 



Eufhorbice 13-f-22=: 35 



proximus 2-|- 0= 2 



fusifonnis 274+220= 494 



jiubipenuis , 5+3= 8 



510+525=1,035 



