138 Mr. T. V. Wollaston on certain Coleopterous Insects 



quadrato ; elytris leviter striato-punctatis, pallido-testaceis sed ad 

 apicein (necnon plerumque etiam per suturpm et circa scutellum) 

 nigro-infuscatis ; pygidio valde retecto, nigrescente; antennis piceo- 

 ferrugineis ; pedibus piceo-testaceis. 

 Long, corp. lin. 1-1}. 



The narrow outline, smaller size, more shining surface and shorter 

 elytra of the M. tricolor, in conjunction with its totally different 

 colour — the head, pro thorax and abdomen being dark, with the 

 elytra (which, however, have their scutellary and apical regions 

 more or less darkened also) pale-testaceous, and the limbs piceo- 

 testaceous, — will readily separate it from the foregoing species. As 

 already stated, it was found by Mr: Bewicke in company with the 

 M. pallidum. 



Fam. Cryptophagidae. 



Genus Atom aria. 



(Kby.) Steph., IU. Brit. Ent. iii. 64 (1830). 



Atomaria Capensis, n. sp. 



A. ovata, convexa, pallido-castanea, parce pubescens, nitida, profunde 

 sed remote punctata ; prothorace transverso-subquadrato, ad latem 

 paulo rotundato et ibidem distincte marginato, postice subtruncato, 

 margine in media leviter elevato ; elytris ad apicem ipsum vix pygi- 

 dium tegentibus ; antennis fusco-piceis, clava obscuriore ; pedibus 

 infuscato-testaceis. 



Long. corp. lin. f . 



Two examples of this little Atomaria were captured by Mr. 

 Bewicke at the Cape of Good Hope, but under what circumstances 

 I cannot say. It is very nearly akin to the common European 

 A. apicalis, but certainly distinct therefrom, — as will be readily 

 seen when the species are placed alongside each other beneath the 

 microscope. It is of a more pallid-castaneous hue, and of a rather 

 more ovate (or less elliptic) form; its punctation is deeper and 

 more distant, its surface less pubescent, its prothorax is less drawn- 

 in anteriorly (being a trifle more rounded at the sides and of almost 

 equal breadth before and behind), rather more truncated at its base, ' 

 and more evidently margined (particularly at the lateral edges), its 

 elytra are not quite so ample at their extreme apex (where they do 

 not completely conceal the pygidium), and its limbs (especially the 

 antcnnal club) are altogether darker. 



