STAPHYLINID^. 515 



Platysthetus cornutus, Woll, Aim. Nat. Hist. x. 340 (1862). 

 Platystethus cornutus, Id., Cat. Can. Col. 595 (1864). 



Habitat Maderenses (Mad.) et Canarienses (Lanz., Fuert., Ten., Gom.), 

 hinc inde in lutosis. 



This common European Platystethus occurs, at low and interme- 

 diate elevations, both in the Madeiran and Canarian Groups. From 

 the former, however, I have seen as yet but a single example, which 

 was taken by the late Mr. F. A. Anderson near Funchal. At the 

 latter it is more widely distributed, and may perhaps be found ulti- 

 mately to be universal ; nevertheless hitherto it has been observed 

 only in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Teneriffe, and Gomera. 



1422. Platystethus spinosus. 



Platysthetus spinosus, Erich., Gen. et Spec. Staph. 784 (1839). 



et fossor, Wott., Ins. Mad. 602, 603 (1854). 



, Id,, Cat. Mad. Col. 198, 199 (1857). 



fossor, Id., Cat. Can. Col. 595 (1864). 



Habitat Maderenses (Mad., P to /S to ) et Canarienses (Lanz., Ten.), in 

 inferioribus intermediisque lutosis minus frequens. 



A more critical examination of my P. fossor inclines me to suspect 

 that it should not be treated as more than a rather small, and 

 perhaps somewhat depauperated, state (peculiar to Madeira proper) 

 of the spinosus of southern Europe ; though if it should prove, on a 

 still further comparison, to be really distinct, the name that I im- 

 posed upon it will remain as heretofore seeing that it is but provi- 

 sionally that I would now cite it as a mere local variety. Unless 

 indeed any character^ have escaped my observation, it would seem 

 to differ from the Canarian phasis of the insect (which I believe to 

 be in accordance with the Mediterranean type) in being on the 

 average a little smaller, with its elytra, head, frontal spinules, and 

 antennae just perceptibly less developed. On the other hand, how- 

 ever, the only individual which I Ijave yet seen from Porto Santo 

 (likewise of the Madeiran Group) is considerably larger than even 

 the Canarian ones ; but as the Platysteihi generally are very vari- 

 able in stature, I do not lay much stress upon this fact. 



Assuming therefore this comparatively gigantic example from 

 Porto Santo, and the minute ones from Madeira proper, to be con- 

 specific with the somewhat intermediate specimens from the Canaries, 

 the P. sjrinosus may be said to be widely diffused over these Atlantic 

 islands having been captured in Madeira proper and Porto Santo 



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