NEW BRITISH SPECIES, ETC., IN 1866. 63 



being pitchy-black, with the edges of the thorax and elytra 

 and margins of the abdominal segments lighter; but the 

 approximation of its thoracic punctm'es to the fore and 

 hind margins, the greater length of its elytra, — the punc- 

 tuation of the striae of which is somewhat obsolete, and of 

 the interstices both irregular and pbsolete,— and the evident 

 thickening of its antennae (Er., loc. cit. p. 273 ; a character 

 not noticed by Kraatz or Thomson), all point to B. rufusj 

 of which, according to the preponderance of characters it 

 seemed to me to be a not previously noticed dark variety. 

 The darkest form as yet recorded has the head and breast 

 pitchy-black. 



In default of its entirely agreeing with JS. rufus (and I 

 am now informed that it does not exactly accord with 

 examples of that species from the Continent), it must be con- 

 sidered as an undescribed species; but, with so many points 

 in common with that insect, I could not with propriety (in 

 spite of the strong difference in colour) have brought it for- 

 ward as new. 



JB, rufus appeal's to have been already in our lists ; the 

 S. castaneus of Haidy and Bold {Hardily Crotch), having 

 originally been brought forward under that name. 



18. Mv^CETOPORUS TENUIS, Rey et Mulsant, Opusc. Ent. 



2"^^ Cah. 1853, 67; Fairm. et Lab., Faun. Ent. 



France, 492, 2; D. Sharp, Proc. Ent. Soc. 19 



Nov. 1866. 

 Mr. Sharp has found this species on the top of Cheviot, 

 and also on a mountain between Strach-farrar and Strach- 

 cannich, Inverness-shire; and remarks that his examples are 

 larger than Mulsant's description would lead one to expect. 



It appears to be entirely bright rufo-testaceous and about 

 the size of M. clavicornisj but of a more slender build, with 



