from the Island of St. Vincent. 101 



Fam. Cleridse. 



Genus Necrobia. 



Olivier, Entora. iv. 76 bis (1795). 



14. Neci-obia rufipes, Thunb. 



Anobium rufipes, Thunb., Nov. Ins. Spec. i. 10 (1/81). 

 Corynetes rufipes, Fab., Syst. Eleuth. i. 286 (1801). 



, King, Abhandl. der Wissensch. Acad, zu Berl. 340 (1840). 



Necrobia rufipes, Redt., Fna Austr. 339 (1849). 



A single example of this universally distributed insect is in 

 Mr. Fry's collection of St. Vincent Coleoptera ; but be informs 

 me it was not taken by himself. It is a species easily naturalized, 

 and one which has established itself in nearly all parts of the 

 world. It abounds at Ascension and the Cape of Good Hope ; 

 and I have myself taken it in profusion in the Canary Islands, 

 and at Mogador, on the opposite coast of Morocco. 



Fam. Curculionidse. 



Genus Cleonus. 



Schonherr, Cure. Disp. Meth. 145 (1826). 



15. Cleonus mucidus, Germ. 



Curculio mucidus. Germ., Mag. der Ent. i. 132 (1813). 



Cleonus velatus, maculipes, et mucidus, Schonh., Gen. et Spec. Ciu'c. ii. 196, 



197, 221 (1834). 

 mucidus et var. /3, Schonh., id. vi. (pars 2) 48 (1842). 



It appears that the C. mucidus is a somewhat variable insect, 

 and one which ranges more peculiarly along the western regions 

 of Africa (Guinea, Cape of Good Hope, &c.), in the same manner 

 as its near ally the C. arenarius does towards the east (Egypt, &c., 

 and even India). The particular phasis of it which occurs in 

 the Cape de Verde Islands was regarded, in vol. ii. of Schon- 

 herr's work, as specifically distinct, and named C. maculipes, 

 but was subsequently (in vol. vi.) registered as "var. (B " of the 

 mucidus, — being of a more flavescent tinge above, with its abdo- 

 minal patches brighter, and its legs more clearly annulated. I 

 must confess, however, on comparing four recent and beautiful 

 specimens of it, which were collected (in the month of October), 

 " running under succulent plants," by Mr. Fry, at St. Vincent, 

 with a type of the C. mucidus given me by M. Jekel, that I detect 

 many other differences (of a small kind) which would incline me 

 to doubt whether the C. maculipes might not have been better 

 kept apart as it was originally described ; and, amongst other 

 minutia, the more evidently dehiscent apex of its elytra, at their 

 extreme point, might be especially referred to. Nevertheless, as 

 it has been already amalgamated with its supposed type, I will 

 not attempt to isolate it afresh. 



