APPENDIX. 



279 



colour : at the base, on either elytron, is a broad, irregularly circular 

 patch of black, which approaches closely to, but does not touch, the 

 lateral margination or the suture ; medially is a narrow transverse 

 fascia of the same colour, which is broken at the suture by the di- 

 stance of one stria, and extends in a slight bend to the commence- 

 ment of the margination ; the apex also is broadly and entirely 

 black, the boundary-line being transverse and almost medial. An- 

 tennae filiform, black. Legs black throughout. 



I believe this to be quite a distinct species, and (although perhaps 

 subject to some variation as to the coloration of the elytra) not a 

 variety of any of the species of Monoplatus which I have had the op- 

 portunity of examining. It is connected by its peculiar fawn-colour 

 with M. bimaculatus, and by the character of its markings with M. 

 apicatus ; its proper place would seem to be between these two species. 



It may be readily recognized by its peculiar colour, together with 

 the transverse black band (not circular spot, like M. bimaculatus) on 

 the elytra. 



Taken by Mr. Fry near Rio Janeiro. 



Page 14. — 11. Monoplatus quatuor-notatus. 



Var. A. Elytris ad apicem et basin haud maculatis, sed integriter 

 et transverse, nigris. 



Var. B. Elytris ad apicem et basin late nigris, vitta transversa ad 

 medium elytrorum fusco suffusa, 



I have, from the collection of Mr. Fry, two varieties of this species, 

 taken by him at Petropolis, Organ Mountains. In the one the apex 

 of the elytra is entirely and continuously (though narrowly) black, — 

 the marking at the base being also more continuous, though inter- 

 rupted by a suffused fuscous coloration at the suture. In the other 

 variety the black markings at the apex and base are produced, till 

 they almost meet in the centre. 



We may expect, from this inconstancy of the markings on the 

 elytra, that a variety of this species may be met with with the elytra 

 entirely black, or entirely black with the exception of the line of 

 margination; such a variety would at first sight approach very 

 closely to Monoplatus distinguendus, but might always be separated 

 from it by the less distinct and less broadly depressed lines of stria- 

 tion on the elytra. 



The sculpturing and the form of the examples before me do not 

 vary at all from those of the specimens captured in the same locality 

 in 1847 by Mr. Gray and myself. 



