200 MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 
sparingly on the disk and more deeply and closely on the sides, posterior angles rounded. 
Scutellum black, sparingly punctate. Elytra somewhat longer than the thorax, punctate- 
striate, nigro-piceous or black. Abdomen entirely red, above densely, below sparingly 
punctate. Prosternum piceous. Legs red, moderately distorted in the males. 
There is considerable variation in the colour of this species; sometimes the character- 
istic red colour of the abdomen is absent, it being black or piceous, at others the thorax 
is reddish piceous, and occasionally the whole body is so. 
From Brazil. 
5. COLASTUS BISIGNATUS. 
Elongatus, subdepressus, glaber, nitidus, sat fortiter punctatus; niger, elytris singulis 
plaga basali magna quadrata rufa; capite lato; thorace, subquadrato, maribus dila- 
tato, lateribus medio sinuatis ; elytris seriatim punctatis; pedibus piceis, tibiis tar- 
sisque dilutioribus. Long. 21 lin., lat. 1 lin. 
Habitat in Venezuela. 
Elongate, subdepressed, glabrous, shining, rather deeply punctate, black, with the 
exception of a large square red patch occupying the greater part of each elytron, leaving 
only a rather narrow black margin on every side, which is broadest at the apex and nar- 
rowest (sometimes almost absent) at the base. Head broad. Thorax subquadrate, dilated 
in the males, with an impression on each side, and the sides sinuate in the middle, the 
base bisinuate, all the angles rounded. The scutellum rounded, almost impunctate. 
Elytra about a half longer than the thorax, punctate in rows, obliquely truncate, the 
exterior angles rounded and convex. Abdomen faintly punctate. The legs piceous, the 
tibiz and tarsi paler. 
At first sight this species recalls to mind the brachelytrous insect Tachinus subter- 
raneus, the appearance and colouring of which are very closely imitated—especially when 
the wings are protruded so as partially to conceal the different abdomen. The imitation, 
however, fails in the texture of this insect, which is coarser, harder, and less delicate. 
Found in Venezuela. 
6. COLASTUS BIPLAGIATUS. 
Cercus biplagiatus (Schénh.). 
Ips biplagiata (Dej. Cat. 134, ed. 1837). 
Elongatus, subparallelus, punctatus, nitidus, glaber, niger, elytris plaga rufa longitudi- 
nali prope scutellum notatis; thorace subquadrato, maribus haud dilatato; elytris 
leviter seriatim punctatis ; subtus piceo-niger, antennis pedibusque piceis ; maribus 
tibiis anticis leviter angulatim distortis. Long. 2 lin., lat. $ lin. 
Habitat in Columbia, 
Elongate, subparallel, somewhat convex, punctate, glabrous, shining, black, with a 
longitudinal pale-red patch on the elytra near and parallel to the suture. Head broad, 
sparsely punctate. Thorax subquadrate, rather convex, rather thickly punctate, punc- 
tures round ; anterior angles rounded ; posterior angles nearly right-angled, with the point 
