Mr. A. Murray's Monograph of the genus Catops. 139 



oil the most important points, only two JifFcrcnces. One is that 

 the antcnnie of C. fuliginosm are darker, which proceeds from the 

 perfectly full colouring of the animal. The other again is that 

 the sinuation of the hind margins of the thorax (which parti- 

 cularly characterizes this species) is in C. nigricann distinct, in 

 C. fuliginosus feeble, — a mark, which in individual cases is not 

 always present in equal force, and which also appears to the eye 

 of the observer in different aspects stronger or weaker than is 

 really the case. There are no specimens named C. fuliginosus, 

 Erichs., in the Royal Museum, but instead of it are C. caliginosus, 

 Erichs., evidently projected from the description of C. fuligi- 

 nosus. We must suppose that Erichson had originally given his 

 specimens of C. fuliginosus the name of C. caliginosus, and as 

 such also determined them to his acquaintances, but subsequently 

 allowed it to remain for reasons unknown to me*." 



In dealing with a description emanating from Erichson, it will 

 jjrobably be better that I quote his description of C. fuliginosus, 

 leaving the reader to form for himself his opinion of its value as 

 a species. It is in these terms : — 



" Oblongo-ovatus, uiger ; antennis obsolete clavatis, rufo-piceis, 

 apice nigricantibus ; thorace basi apiccque latitudine ajquali, 

 angulis posticis acumiuatis ; elytris obsoletissime striatis. 



" Long. If lin. 



" Very closely allied to the foregoing [nigrita, Erichs.). The 

 antenna; have the same form and the same proportions, but are 

 differently coloured ; they are brownish red, the last four or five 

 joints including the terminal blackish. The thorax is somewhat 

 shorter than in the foregoing, a little narrower than the elytra, 

 lightly rounded on the sides ; the posterior angles pointed ; the 

 posterior margin on each side between the edge and the middle 

 twice feebly sinuated. The elytra are oblong oval, very indi- 

 stinctly striated. The colour of the body is black ; the head and 

 thorax have a fine yellow-grey pubescence ; the elytra are more 

 brownish black, with a grey hoar-frost rime on them. The legs 

 are ferruginous brown, the thighs blackish f.'' 



The impression the description rather leaves upon my mind is, 

 that Erichson's intended //</?V/mo5?<s may have been the species 

 subsequently described by Kellner under the name of corucinus. 

 The yellow pubescence on the thorax for instance, and the ash- 

 grey rime on the elytra, ajiply well to it, but not to nigricans : on 

 the other hand, the size, \'i lin., is too much for coracinus. 

 Again, it may be that the small examples of nigricans standing 

 under the name oi^ caliginosus in the Berlin Museum collection, 

 were not published by Erichson from a doubt of their being 



* Kraatz in loc. cit. t Erichson in he. cif. 



