342 Major F. J. Sidney Parry on the characters 
angles, the punctnation is also considerably stronger (with 
the exception of N. obesus) than in all the other Asiatic 
species "we are at present acquainted with ; the scrobiculate 
character of the punctviation exhibited in the interior of 
the fovea on the thorax in the Afi'ican species appears to 
be wanting. I am indebted to Count Mniszech for the 
specimen I possess. 
Nigidius Bubalus, Swed. Act. Holm. 1787, pi. viii. fig. 
a, b, c. 
auriculatus, King, Erm. Reis. 1835. 
integer, Westw. Ent. Mag. v. 1838. 
Midas, De Casteln. Hist.' Nat. Ins. 1840. 
nitidus, Thomson, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1862. 
?*vervex { Figulus), Dej. Cat. sec. Burm. 
Handb. v. p. 432. 
As no well authenticated specimen of this insect has 
fallen under my notice, I am not in a position to decide as 
to Avhich of the West African species of Nigidius at present 
known N. Bubalus of Swederus is to be refen-ed ; it has 
even been siiggested to me that the insect in question 
might possibly not even belong to this genus ; but I think 
from the description, as well as fi-om the figures (although 
but indifferently executed), that there can be but little 
doubt upon this point. The habitat given by the author, 
of North America, is CAndently erroneous ; and seeing that 
Drury's collection was especially rich in AVcst Afi'ican 
species, it is most probable that from thence the insect 
originated. (Possibly the type specimen may still exist in 
the late Mr. Macleay's collection in Austraha, who, if I am 
correctly informed, piu*chased largely at the sale of Drury's 
collection.) Judging from the description and the figures 
given, the following two species, viz. N. auriculatus, Klug, 
and N. auriculatus, Guerin, both from West Afi'ica, aj^pear 
to me to be the most nearly allied to Bubalus ; but as 
Swederus, neither in the description, nor the figures, alludes 
to a very important character peculiar to N. auriculatus 
of Guerin, viz. the deeply emarginated anterior angles of 
the prothorax, a character which does not exist in N. auri- 
culatus, Klug, I am very much disposed to believe that 
the above synonymical an-angement will prove to be 
coiTCCt, especially as, through the kindness of Professor 
• Professor Westwood. loc. eit., notifies F. verveXfDe]., as being identical 
with N. auriculatus, Guerin. 
