NEW BRITISH SPECIES, ETC., IN 1868. 13 



versicolor, Sturm and Stephens, is a rather smaller and nar- 

 rower variety of r^w/^reM.-? ; and Schaum quoting it as syno- 

 nymical with that insect, and not even alluding to it as a 

 variety. 



' P. puncticeps, the larger and wider of Thomson's two 

 species, has the front of the head delicately but distinctly 

 punctulate ; the thorax almost transverse, scarcely at all nar- 

 rower at the apex than at the base, which is closely (in the 

 middle more delicately) punctured, and with the small outer 

 basal fovea parallel with the lateral margin and rather nearer 

 to it than to the inner fovea ; the strise of the elytra delicate, 

 and rather closely but not strongly punctured ; and with a 

 row of about ten fine bristles towards the lower part of the 

 inner side of the posterior tibiae. 



P. pauciseta, besides- being smaller and narrower than 

 puncticepSf has the front of the head entirely without punc- 

 tuation ; the thorax rather longer, narrower at the apex than 

 the base, which is almost punctureless in the middle, and 

 with the small outer basal fovea well defined, obliquely 

 directed inwards, and equidistant between the lateral margin 

 and inner fovea ; the striae of the elytra rather (in some cases 

 very much) deeper, less closely but more strongly punctured, 

 with more convex interstices, and the row of bristles on the 

 inner side of the posterior tibiae about six only in number. 

 On the underside, the sides of the metasternum are rather 

 more strongly, and the propleurae behind obsoletely, punc- 

 tured. On the whole, also, according to my experience, this 

 species is the more brightly coloured of the two. Both of 

 them seem to have the red-legged form, but the dull blue or 

 black varieties, as far as my observation goes, are only found 

 in P. puncticeps. Out of all the specimens of both hitherto 

 examined by me, I have found only one that is in the least 

 degree intermediate between the two species. 



