46 COLEOPTERA. 



very much wider and more ''squab," — in fact, more sugges- 

 tive of Huphydrus. The type form is ferruginous-brown, 

 with the thorax darkened in the middle, and with the margins 

 and two indistinct bands on each elytron lighter. The speci- 

 mens in my possession have these bands so very indistinct, 

 that they would seem close to the var. bicolor, Dahl., in 

 which the elytra are immaculate and dark. 



There is an old Leach ian specimen of this insect in the 

 British collection of the British Museum. 



6. Hydroporus minutissimus, Germ., Ins. Nov. Spec, 

 31, 51; Aube, Hydr. et Gyr.,493; Schaum, 1. c.,40; 

 T. V. Wollaston, Ent. Mo. Mag., vi, 57. 

 trifasdatusj Wollast., Annals of Nat. Hist., xviii, 

 453, 1846. 



This species formerly stood in our Hst on the authority of 

 three examples given to Mr. Wollaston, many years ago, by 

 the late Mr. W. Clear of Cork, who believed he had taken 

 them near that city. These examples, however, appear, from 

 subsequent investigation, to have had a continental origin ; 

 but the species proves to be really British, as it has recently 

 been taken by Mrs. and Mr. Wollaston among the small 

 submerged shingle at the edges of Slapton Ley, about seven 

 miles to the westward of Dartmouth. 



These specimens seem to belong to the type form, in which 

 the basal dark band of the elytra reaches the outer margin. 



It is an exceedingly interesting and handsome little insect, 

 allied to and smaller than H. geminus, and conspicuous from 

 its elongate depressed form, the three light bands across its 

 elytra, and the evident stria continued half way down each 

 elvtron from the basal thoracic fovea. 



It appears to be very widely distributed, occurring in 

 Germany, France, Italy, Crete, Syria, Armenia, the Canary 

 Isles, &c. 



