81J Mr. A. Murray on the Germs Cercyon, 



straw-yellow, reddish at the suture, obscure or blackish towards 

 the sutural angle, with ten punctured striae; the lateral striae 

 reduced to striated rows of punctures. Legs testaceous yellow. 



Var. B. C. flavum, Steph. syn. 



Prothorax with a narrow yellow border on the sides. 



Var. C. C. scutellare, Steph. syn. 



Elytra appearing marked with a black triangular blotch sur- 

 rounding the scutellum. 



Length f to 1 line. 



This species in outline and general appearance greatly re- 

 sembles the preceding, but wants the heart-shaped black patch 

 on the back : it has been generally supposed to be its male. 

 Mulsant, however, states that individuals of both sexes are found 

 with the characteristic mark of each, and that therefore the one 

 cannot be the male of the other. A positive statement of this 

 kind coming from one who has studied the genus so much as 

 Mulsant, drives us either to admit them to be different species or 

 varieties of the same species. I confess that, although in deference 

 to Mulsant's authority I have here kept them apart as different 

 species, my own opinion is that they are connected together in 

 some way or other, if not as sexes at least as varieties. Whenever 

 a few specimens of one are taken, some of the other are sure to 

 be taken along with them. 



Common. 



C centrimaculatum, Sturm, Erich., Muls. 

 pygmceum, Gyll. (not Illig., Steph., Muls.). 

 bimaculatum, Steph. 

 ustulatum, Kirby, Steph. 

 inustum. Marsh., Steph. 

 nubilipenne, Steph. 



Oval, moderately convex and somewhat depressed, shining and 

 finely punctured above. Head and prothorax black ; the latter 

 reddish on the sides, rounded at the posterior angles, with the 

 edges turned up on one part of the base. Elytra testaceous red, 

 with a blackish mark or cloud on the disk of each, with the 

 striae punctate; second, third and fourth intervals subconvex, 

 and as narrow at their extremity as the sutural one. 



Var. B. Elytra entirely testaceous red, or testaceous yellow. 



Length g^ to f line. 



Its small size and yellow elytra, with a dark cloud on the disk 

 of each, generally enable us to distinguish this species at first 

 sight. It has sometimes the elytra coloured like quisquilium, but 

 its small size, more depressed form and the other characters 

 above mentioned distinguish it. 



Common. 



