290 On Ih'jjterafrom Vera Crut. 



raised portions of tlie tergum are shaded with soft brown, 

 only the bases and tips being yellowish. My specimens re- 

 mained in alcohol for nearly a year, so that I cannot give a 

 more detailed colour description. From memory, however, 

 I can say that the soft brown and yellow colours blended so 

 as to give a very pretty effect, and I could hardly describe 

 the insect as generally pale testaceous or yellow. Both Say 

 and Wiedemann, in their descriptions, convey the idea that 

 the tergum of abdomen is unicolorous, whereas in the present 

 form the colour is well contrasted between soft brown and 

 yellow in life, changing to brown and pale yellowish in 

 alcoholic specimens. There is also, as I remember, a creamy 

 bloom on the yellow portions in life, which iieightens the 

 colour effect. The legs are yellowish. The thorax has the 

 darker lateral and posterior margins. The specimens vary in 

 length from 2 to 4 millim., the usual size being 3 to 3^ millim. 

 Allowing for brevity in Say's description, and also for the 

 possibly poor condition of his material, it is nevertheless my 

 opinion that these Mexican specimens form at least a good 

 variety of depressa. 



Twenty-six of the females contain each a black puparlum 

 within the abdomen, well formed and nearly ready to escape. 

 Others show it less advanced. Twenty-one of the specimens 

 have a nnich narrowed form, the abdomen being the same 

 width as thorax, and about the same size as latter. This 

 form represents individuals that have recently emerged from 

 the puparium. It may be noted that in these the lateral 

 elytra-like pieces of tergum are not wrinkled or compressed 

 to any extent ; but the rest of tergum, which in the fully 

 developed adult is spatulate and widened behind, is much 

 wrinkled and compressed, indicating its recent escape from 

 the puparium. 



The puparium is 2 millim. long; li millim. wide at wndest, 

 which is across middle ; and 1 millim. thick at thickest, in 

 centre as seen from a lateral view. It is polished chestnut- 

 brown, with a well-defined yellowish stripe around whole 

 edge except at the cephalic end. The cap is shining blackish. 

 Whole puparium is shining, rather short oval in dorsal out- 

 line, the cephalic end more tapering ; sligh<:ly flattened or 

 less convex on ventral surface, so as not to give a symmetrical 

 profile view. 



The abdomen of the male is rounded behind, rather entire 

 in outline on posterior edge, hypopygium concealed, genital 

 orifice removed a little from posterior edge of ventral surface. 

 The abdomen of female is truncate behind, the posterior 

 margin rather deeply emarginate on each side of genital 



