Mr. T. V. Wollaston on the Canarian Malacoderms. 425 



basin dilute flavis, inde fere ad apicem paulatim obscurioribus, ad 

 apicem ipsum laate pallido-flavis ; antennis gracilibus, nigrescentibus, 

 basin versus pedibusque testaceis ; femoribus posticis (interdum pos- 

 terioribus) ad apicem nigrescentibus ; tibiis tarsisque posticis (interdum 

 posterioribus) plus minus infuscatis. 

 Var. /3. dcpauperatus. Saepius minor, palpis ad apicem obscurioribus, 

 femoribus (praesertim posticis) versus basin (nee ad apicem) late 

 nigrescentibus. 

 Long. corp. lin. 1^-2^. 

 Habitat insulas Canarienses, in Gomera sola adbuc baud detectus. 



The present Malthinus may be regarded as the representative in 

 these islands of the European M. jlaveolus. It is, however, on the 

 average considerably smaller than that insect (descending to a com- 

 paratively minute size) ; its limbs and elytra are relatively shorter ; 

 its head, although greatly narrowed, is not quite so attenuated 

 posteriorly, and has its darker portion more often resolved into 

 separate patches; its prothorax has merely the disk ornamented 

 with two longitudinal lines (which are sometimes broken up into 

 detached spots, and at others completely confluent) ; its elytra have 

 even their basal region usually of a rather clearer yellow ; and its 

 legs are less uniformly pale, the hinder pair (and often the inter- 

 mediate ones also) having the apex of their femora black, and 

 frequently their tibiae and tarsi a good deal infuscated. It is a most 

 variable species, both in size and hue ; and in some of the smaller 

 examples, particularly those from the more barren islands of Lanza- 

 rote and Fuerteventura, the femora, especially the posterior ones, 

 are clouded or darkened towards their base (leaving only the apex 

 or apical portion paler), and their palpi have the terminal joint more 

 decidedly blackened ; but, after comparing them with an extensive 

 series of specimens collected in six (out of the seven) islands of the 

 Group, I have come to the conclusion that they cannot be detached 

 from the remainder, their slight differences seeming to be the mere 

 result of depauperation, in those individuals in which the stature is 

 diminished. Nevertheless I have thought it desirable to treat them 

 as a variety. 



There can be no doubt that the M. mutabilis is universal throughout 

 the archipelago, in the whole seven islands of which I have myself 

 captured it, except Gomera, where our sojourn was so short, and 

 moreover so early in the season, that it escaped our observation. In 

 Teneriffe, Palma, and Hierro it was found also by Mr. Gray. My 

 Fuerteventuran specimens are principally from the Rio Palmas, the 

 Canarian ones from El Monte and San Martao, the Teneriffan ones 



