On the Specific Rank o/Llmax cinereo-niger. 225 



smooth plaga is surrounded by a much larger depressed area, 

 which is covered by a yellowish powdery pubescence and is 

 deepest behind, where it commences a little in front of the 

 basal margin, but becomes sliallower as it widens out around 

 the smooth })lnga, to narrow again in front, where it extends 

 close up to the antero-lateral angle. The sides of the pro- 

 notuni arc subparallel or slightly divergent from the base up 

 to the beginning of the posterior tiiird, and thence converge 

 with a rather gentle curve up to the anterior border. Elytra 

 with numerous punctures, of which the larger ones bear each 

 a minute tuft of white hairs ; the sides are sinuately emar- 

 ginate just in front of the middle, then slightly curve out, to 

 narrow again up to the apex, near which each is furnished 

 with four or five very short teeth ; the innermost costa of 

 each elytron extends back but a short distance from the base 

 and approaches the suture, the second costa reaches from the 

 base to the extreme apex, the two outer costa are shorter and 

 less distinct. Body underneath densely foveolate-punetured, 

 the punctures bearing small fascicles of whitish hairs. Pro- 

 sternal process flat, produced and narrowed behind to an obtuse 

 point, which fits into a corresponding channel extending along 

 the whole length of the mesosternum ; the pits on its surface 

 are more or less elongated. 



This splendid Buprestid, which is named in honour of its 

 possessor, to whom I owe the privilege of describing it, seems 

 at first sight to belong to the group of the Psilopterides ; but 

 its structural characters show that it is foreign to this group. 

 Taking all its characters into consideration, 1 do not see that 

 it can be better placed than in the genus Chalcophoropsis. 

 The scutellum, though invisible, has its position marked by a 

 small opening or depression at the base of the elytra. 



XXXVI. — The Specific Rank of Limax cinereo-niger. Wolf. 

 By Wm. Denison Roebuck, F.L.S., Hon. Secretary to 

 the Conchological Society. 



This slug, although very closely allied to L. maximus, L., 

 differs so markedly from it in several particulars, both as 

 regards external and internal characters, as to make it 

 impossible for it to be looked upon as a mere colour- variety, 

 as is somewhat baldly asserted by Mr. CoUinge in a note 

 in the ' Annals ' for December last. The twoslugs differ 

 in their dentition, in the anatomy of the genital organs. 



