96 HETEUOMEIU. [Meloe. 



Found crawling about on heaths and commons, meadows, grassy bnnks, roadsides, 

 pathways near the coast, &c., especially in early spring ; common and generally dis- 

 tributed throughout the greater part of England, but less common further north ; 

 Sc-otland, not common, Solway, Forth, Clyde, Tay, Dee, and Moray districts; Ireland, 

 near Dublin, and probably widely distributed. 



V. cyaneus, Muls. This variety, which was considered by Mulsant 

 to be a separate species, is usually smaller than the type form, with a 

 purplish-violet metallic head and thorax, the punctures of which are 

 not so coarse, and with less rugose elytra ; the base of the thorax is 

 almost straight, whereas in the type form it is evidently, although feebly, 

 emarginate, and there is a more or less evident longitudinal depression on 

 the thoracic central line behind the middle ; from M. violaceus this insect 

 may be known by the decidedly shorter thorax (of which the base is not 

 nearly so deeply emarginate, and has no transverse channel), the black 

 elytra and body, and the more metallic head and thorax. 



Rare; Isle of Man (Rev. K. P. Murray); Suttou, near Birmingham (Mr. W. G. 

 Blatch). . 



XIX. violaceus, Marsh, (rufipes, Bremi). Closely allied to the pre- 

 ceding, from which it may be known by being entirely of a bright 

 bluish or violaceous colour, and the less coarse and more diffuse punc- 

 tuation of the head and thorax ; the latter is also quite differently 

 shaped, being longer and narrower, gradually rounded in front and 

 narrowed behind, and furnished at base (which is rather strongly 

 emarginate) with a distinct transverse impression; the elytra are rather 

 shallowly rugose ; the male characters are the same as in M. proscara- 

 bceus. L. 12-36 mm. 



Roadsides, commons, heaths, &c., in early spring ; local and much less common than 

 the preceding species, and in some districts decidedly rare ; London district, rather 

 conrnon, Mickleham, Caterham, Esher, Chatham, Strood, CowL-y, Reigate, &c. ; 

 Dover ; Hampshire ; Glanvilles Wootton ; Swansea ; Bnruwood, near Gloucester ; 

 Sutton and Knowle, near Birmingham ; Keptou, Burton-on-Trent ; VVithington and 

 Barton, Cheshire; Scotland, rare, Dee and Argyle districts; Ireland, Dublin, 

 Wicklow, Belfast, &i-. 



IVI. autumnalis, 01. Bluish, bluish-green or blue with various 

 reflections, smooth, shining, and sparingly punctured on head and 

 thorax, the latter about as long as broad, rounded for its anterior fourth 

 part and thence subparallel to base ; posterior angles blunt, base broadly 

 emarginate, with a transverse furrow before margin, disc with a longi- 

 tudinal central furrow ; elytra with scattered punctures which are 

 larger and more shallow than those of thorax, and are sometimes more 

 or less rugose; legs more or less metallic, moderately stout. L. 8-14 

 mm. 



Male with the antennae longer than in female, and joints 3-7 of the 

 antennae gradually more compressed than in the preceding ; last ventral 

 segment of abdomen truncate and subemarginate. 



On grassy banks, pathways, &c. ; especially near the coast ; in the autumn ; very 



