MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 241 
about the breadth of the elytra, a half broader than long, rounded on the sides, narrowed 
in front, truncate, straight before and behind, posterior angles rounded and obtuse. 
Scutellum large and semicircular. Elytra more than a half longer than the thorax. 
Abdomen with the fourth segment very short. About the same size and shape as 
B. Urtice, but readily distinguished by its leaden-black colour and whitish-grey pubes- 
cence, with legs and antenne so dark as usually to appear black, while B. Urtice has a 
brownish hue mixed with its black, and its legs, antennze, and mouth are reddish brown, 
the basal joint of the antenne excepted, which is usually black, and also sometimes the 
club, which is generally darker than the preceding articles of the antennze. 
Found in flowers and on plants all over Europe. Common. Not rare in Britain. 
2. BRACHYPTERUS UNICOLOR. 
Küster, Kaf. Eur. xviii. 29 (1849). 
Niger, nitidus, sparsim fortiter punctatus, subtiliter cinereo pubescens; prothorace 
lateribus rotundato, angulis posticis rotundatis, anticis rectis; elytris indistincte 
virescente micantibus. Long. $-1 lin., lat. 4 lin. 
Habitat in Sardinia, Sicilia, &c. 
Black, shining, sparingly but deeply punctate, faintly cinereo-pubescent. Thorax 
rounded on the sides, the posterior angles rounded, the anterior right-angled. Scutellum 
large, rounded at the apex, punctate, except on the margins. Elytra indistinctly brassy 
green. Antenne and legs black. 
The only distinguishable differences which M. Küster gives between this species and 
B. pubescens are, that it is smaller, more slender, blacker, less closely pubescent, with 
the second article of the antennz reddish brown and the elytra faintly metallic green. 
It is to be observed, however, that the colour of the basal articles of the antenne is a 
character of little or no value. Nine out of ten specimens of B. pubescens which have 
the antennze reddish have the second article lightest in colour. The basal joint is usually 
dark, the second rufous, and the rest become gradually darker as they approach the club, 
which is generally piceous. : 
I have not seen any undoubted specimens of M. Küster's types; but I have received 
from Herr von Kiesenwetter a specimen of a species, taken in Sicily, which he thought 
was Küster's wnicolor. 'This specimen, however, is larger and more convex, instead of 
being smaller and more slender, than B. pubescens, and the second article of the antenne 
does not differ in colour from the others. It almost looks as if Küster had confounded 
his specimens, and described his unicolor from specimens of pubescens, reversing the cha- 
racters in his contrast. My specimen is somewhat smoother than pubescens, the punc- 
tuation being rather more widely scattered; it is also decidedly more convex, and has the 
anterior angle of the thorax more right-angled and less inflexed; but, with these ex- 
ceptions, I can see little difference between them. 
For the above reasons, I am inclined to think that the Sicilian species which I received 
under that name is Küster's unicolor, and I have therefore recorded it as such, merely 
altering his diagnosis so as to leave the above points open. 
