206 MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 
Broad, oval, depressed, black, somewhat shining, coarsely punctate, and sparingly 
clothed with a slight depressed cinereous pubescence. Antennee rufo-piceous, with the 
club black. Head thickly punctate; the mouth piceous. Thorax short, with the base 
lightly sinuate on each side, and the sides rounded, punctured sparingly and deeply on the 
disk, more faintly and densely on the sides. Scutellum densely punctate in the middle at 
the base, smooth at the apex. Elytra about a half longer than the thorax, regularly punc- 
tate-striate, sometimes with an oblong red basal blotch (interrupted at the suture, and with 
theinner margin parallel to the suture, the outer margin extending obliquely outwards and 
backwards towards the base), at others without any mark. The blotch is as in C. vetustus, 
but does not reach back on the elytra more than the half of their length. Abdomen 
densely punctate. Body below faintly punctate. Legs piceous; the tarsi ferruginous. 
This species differs from C. vulneratus in its larger size, less convexity, shorter and 
more sparing pubescence, lighter punctuation, and different colour of the legs. It differs 
from C. discoideus in its smaller size, finer punctuation, less pubescence, less depressed 
elytra, and in the different shape of the red patch on the elytra. 
From Columbia. 
14. COLASTUS HILARIS. 
Affinis C. bimaculato, sed magis convexus, fortius et parcius punctatus, elytris macula 
basali rubra majore. Long. 2 lin., lat. 1 lin. 
Habitat in Cumana. 
Allied to C. bimaculatus, but quite distinct; more convex, more sparingly and more 
deeply punctate; black, the elytra with rows of punctures, deeper and fewer in each 
row, and with a larger patch of red covering the base of both elytra. Head punctate 
and pubescent; the mouth and antennz rufo-testaceous. Thorax convex, somewhat 
shining, sparingly clothed with long griseous pubescence, sparingiy and deeply punctate, 
slightly more so towards the sides, which are sharply declinate and rounded ; base a little 
wider than the elytra, very deeply bisinuate, the posterior angles projecting backwards, 
slightly piceo-ferruginous, as is the margin for a short distance forwards; there is a 
depression at the base on each side of the middle, so that the convex disk extends 
somewhat backwards towards the scutellum, like a large broad lobe. Scutellum large, 
rounded, punctate, apex smooth. Elytra somewhat convex, very little longer than the 
thorax, fulvo-pubescent and punctate in rows, the punctures oblong, not continuing to 
the apex, which is depressed, the red patch extending quite to the suture and reaching to 
within a fourth of the apex at the suture, then extending across the elytra in a gentle curve 
for about a half of their breadth, and then sloping obliquely backwards (û. e. backwards as 
regards the base of the elytra, but forwards as regards the head) to the exterior margin, 
which it reaches at about a third from the base; it then reverts again along the under side 
of the margin almost to the very apex; apex of each elytron very obliquely truncate for- 
wards and inwards ; sutural apical angles obtuse, exterior apical angles rounded. Abdomen 
more faintly punctate and griseo-pubescent ; margins of segments smooth. Legs rufous. 
From Cumana. The only specimen which I have seen is one in the collection of the 
Marquis de la Ferté, standing under the name which I have adopted. 
