tlie Atlantic Cossonides. 403 



entirely wanting (as in tlie case also with the 31. complanafiis) 

 the fine elytral pubescence which is so conspicuous in the Ma- 

 deiran species ; its prothoracic keel, also, is more obscure ; and 

 its elytra are less convex, with their strise much broader, deeper 

 and more coarsely crenulated. In both of these Canarian species 

 the eyes are rather smaller, and more oblong than in the 31. 

 maderensis. 



SQ. Mesites maderensis, Woll. 

 Mes'Ues maderensis, Woll., Ins. Mad. 319 (1854). 



Id., Cat. Mad. Col. lOL (1857). 



Hah'ilat in editioribus Maderse sylvaticae, sub cortice lauro- 

 rum laxo hinc inde valde creirarius. 



The M. maderensis may be regarded as representing in Ma- 

 deira the Teneriffan M. persimiliSf- — to which, indeed, as already 

 stated, it is closely allied. Like that species, it occurs beneath the 

 loose bark of the native laurels, attaining its maximum at a rather 

 lofty elevation, and never descending below the sylvan districts. 



37. Mesites Eiiphorbice, Woll. 



Mesites Euphorhice, Woll., Ins. Mad. 318 (1854). 



Id., Cat. Mad. Col. 104 (1857). 



Habitat Maderam, truncos Euphorbiarum emortuos, ab ora 

 maritima. usque ad regiones sylvaticas crescentium, destruens. 



The present Mesites is the Euphorhia-Aestxoy'm^ species of 

 Madeira, — doing tlie work of destruction on apparently as large 

 a scale in that island, as the 31. fusiformis does at the Canaries. 

 Up to a comparatively recent period I had observed it only in the 

 rotten stems of the gigantic Euphorbia vielUfera of lofty elevations ; 

 but on the 23rd December, 1858, 1 took it in equal profusion from 

 out of the decayed branches of the E, piscaloria,on the low rocky 

 slopes towards Canico, to the east of Funchal, — in which locality, 

 as well as in others, it has subsequently been captured both by 

 Sr. Moniz and Mr. Bewicke. It is probably, therefore, indepen- 

 dent of elevation, occurring indiscriminately wherever the Eu- 

 phorbias are found. It may be at once known from the Canarian 

 3I.fusiformis and pubipennis by, inter alia, its more parallel (or 

 less fusiform) outline, less shining surface, and very much paler 

 (or ferruginous) hue, by its prothorax being more uniformly 

 punctured (and free from the larger additional punctures which 

 are there so conspicuous on the hinder portion of the dorsal line), 

 by its elytra having their striae strictly crenated, instead of punc- 



