234 CLAVICOKNIA. [Micruntli. 



convex, thickly punctured, clothed with not very fine and rather thick 

 pubescence ; colour variable, but usually testaceous, with the thorax dark 

 and the antennae and legs reddish ; antennae unicolorous with the three 

 joints of the club of equal breadth ; thorax rather long, gradually con- 

 tracted from base to apex, much narrower in front than behind, base as 

 wide as base of elytra ; elytra rather convex, narrowly margined ; legs 

 rather short and stout, the same in both sexes, intermediate tibiae with a 

 row of very fine spines on their outer side. L. 2| mm. 



By beating and sweeping flowers and trees in blossom in early summer ; local ; 

 London district, rather common, Caterham, Mickleham, Shirley, Sevenoaks, St. 

 Mary Cray, Shiere, Birch Wood, Purley Down, Loughton, &c. ; Amberley ; Dover; 

 Glanvilles Wootton ; Salford Priors, near Evesham ; Gumley, Leicestershire ; Fore- 

 mark near Repton, Burton-on-Trent (wild cherry blossom) ; not recorded from any 

 of the northern counties of England, but probably occurs rarely ; Scotland, very rare, 

 Forth and Moray districts. 



The colour of this species is very variable ; some specimens are en- 

 tirely testaceous ; this rather common variety is the Nitidula affinis of 

 Stephens ; a much rarer variety, the N. brunnea of Heer, is entirely black 

 or fuscous, with the mouth parts, antennas, and legs testaceous ; of this 

 variety I have only seen two British examples, which are in Mr. 

 Wilkinson's collection, now in the possession of Mr. Mason. 



NXTXDUXiA, Fabricius. 



About thirty species are at present comprised in this genus, which are 

 very widely distributed, as representatives occur in Europe, Siberia, and 

 North America, and also in North and South Africa, Ceylon, Peru, and 

 Brazil, and in the Australian region in New Zealand and New Cale- 

 donia ; there are five European species, of Avhich four are found in 

 Britain ; these may be distinguished as follows : 



I. Thorax entirely black. 



i. Elytra with yellow or reddish spots ; thorax with 

 anterior margin straight. 



1. Size larger ; elytra black, with one well-defined 



reddish-yellow spot on each . N. BirusTULATA, L. 



2. Size smaller ; elytra dark, with four irregular 

 reddish spots on each, which are often confluent 



aud form bands N. QUADRIPUSTULATA, F. 



ii. Elytra without spots ; thorax with anterior mar- 

 gin distinctly emargiiiate N. BTTFIPES, L. 



II. Thorax with margius broadly yellow N. PLEXUOSA, F. 



N. bipustulata, L. Moderately convex, of a dull black colour, 

 each elytron with one well-defined large reddish-yellow spot on each, 

 placed a little behind the middle ; head very thickly punctured, antennae 

 entirely black or dark red with black club ; thorax as broad behind as 

 elytra, with anterior margin straight or almost straight, rather more 

 narrowed in front in the female than in the male ; the punctuation also 



