88 



CYBOCEPHALID7E. 



my Canarian Catalogue, without further inquiry, even whilst feeling- 

 far from satisfied that my own were not, in reality, more in accord- 

 ance with the truth [vide ' Cat. Can. Col.' p. 115], But the recent 

 publication by Mr. A. Murray of his extensive monograph, in which 

 he excludes Cybocephalus, without the slightest hesitation (and, as 

 I believe, with perfect justice), from the Nitidulidce, has induced me 

 to reconsider its structure ; and the result is that I am more firmly 

 persuaded than ever that it is better retained in the neighbourhood 

 of the Anisotomidce and Clambidce than in that of any other known 

 groups. The mere fact of Erichson's verdict having been subscribed 

 to implicitly by most subsequent naturalists does not militate against 

 this conclusion, but is simply in accordance with what we should 

 have been led to anticipate ; whilst the plain fact that Erichson was 

 mistaken in regarding the quadriarticulate feet of Cybocephalus as 

 pentamerous immediately disposes of the most significant point of the 

 very few which he adduced in support of his thesis. Whilst, there- 

 fore, I would not wish to pronounce positively on its exact location 

 in a natural system (for in some respects it is unquestionably ano- 

 malous), I am satisfied that the one which is here assigned to it is 

 at any rate more in harmony with the details of its entire structure 

 than could be obtained by admitting it amongst forms from which 

 in most of its characters it is totally dissimilar. 



258. Cybocephalus sphserula. 



Stagonomorpha sphserula et unicolor, WolL, Ins. Mad. 484, 485, tab. x. 

 f. 8 (1854). 



, Id., Cat. Mad. Col 148 (1857). 



Cybocephalus sphaerula, Id. t Cat. Can. Col. 116 (18C4). 



Habitat Maderenses (Mad.) et Canarienses (in Fuert. sola haud de- 

 tectus) prsecipue in herbidis, passim. 



Widely spread over these Atlantic Groups. In the Madeiras, how- 

 ever, it is extremely rare, though occurring in the damp sylvan dis- 

 tricts of Madeira proper at intermediate altitudes ; but at the Canaries 

 it is locally abundant, and doubtless universal, though hitherto it 

 does not happen to have been taken in Fuerteventura. We may be 

 pretty sure, however, that it exists in that island, as it does in the 

 other six where it is more or less common. Its detection in Hierro 

 is due to the late researches of the Messrs. Crotch. In Grand Canary 

 I have observed that it is very partial to the foliage of the narrow- 

 leaved Myrtle of the gardens. 





