. 547 



POSTEMMA BEACiiELYTRTJM, L. Ditf. Arm. Soc. Eut. France, iii, 350, pi. 5, 



fig. 8 (1834). 



METASTEMMA GUTTULA, Am. et Serv. Hem. 329, 1 (1843) ; Fieb. Europ. 

 Hem. 158, 2 (1861). 



Bright shining blue-black, witli distant, long, black hairs ; elytra 

 and leys vermilion. 



Head lustrous, smooth. Antenna ; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd joints 

 yellow-brown, 1st and 3rd black at base and apex, 2nd with a 

 narrow white ring round the apex ; 4th and 5th pitchy black ; all 

 except the 2nd and 5th with long, projecting hairs, the 1st also is 

 only hairy at the apex. Eyes and Ocelli piceous. Rostrum ; the 

 junction of the joints, and the last joint entirely, yellowish. 



Thorax. Pronotum lustrous, smooth ; the disk with few, the sides 

 with several, long, strong, projecting black hairs ; Scutellum deep 

 dull black, sides with short, erect hairs. Elytra ; Corium dull ver- 

 milion, with short, erect hairs; Membrane; the rudiment dingy 

 ochreous. Sternum deeply and coarsely wrinkled. Legs with long, 

 projecting black hairs ; coxas black, the remainder (except as stated) 

 vermilion ; thighs ; the denticulation beneath the 1st pair black ; 

 tibiae ; apex black ; 1st pair shining, orange-yellow, the denticula- 

 tiou beneath, black ; tarsi; yellow-brown to piceous. 



Abdomen above slightly shining, deeply, coarsely punctured ; 

 beneath black ; the hairs above and beneath long and projecting. 



Length, 4 4| lines. 



A single specimen in the collection of the late Mr. John Curtis, 

 of which Mr. Curtis says, in his 'British Entomology' "This 

 beautiful insect was discovered last September (1837) on the sand- 

 hills near Sandwich, by my friend Mr. A. Kennedy, who very kindly 

 presented me with his only specimen." Mr. Gr. R. Crotch also has 

 an example, taken at Charlton, by Mr. E. "W. Janson. 



Genus 2. NABIS, Lat. 



Elongate, narrow in front, widened and rounded behind. 



Head long, short behind the eyes ; Grown slightly convex, nearly 

 horizontal, not much produced before the eyes, and narrower than 

 behind them ; Face long, curved, deflected ; central lobe prominent ; 

 anterior margin straight ; side lobes very short ; cheek-plates long, 



