Sis 
Ex 
| 0 0 0- ES SS MC MMC 
274 MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 
Section III. Moderately broad. Depressed, as if a roller had passed over the thorax. 
a. Above wholly black or nigro-piceous. 
28. COLASTUS SIMPLEX. 
Oblongo-ovatus, depressus, niger, subnitidus, sparsim griseo pubescens, leviter, Fig. 39. 
sparsim et sat fortiter punctatus; thorace basi bisinuato ; elytris leviter (es 
seriatim punctatis ; pygidio sat fortiter punctato ; abdomine segmentis 
dorsalibus penultimis et antepenultimis levissime punctatis; antennis 
pedibusque piceis. Long. 2 lin., lat. 1$ lin. 
Habitat in Brasilia. 
Var. Sauuxs. Parum latior, magis depressus, levius punctatus, thorace lateribus minus 
rotundato. Long. 2 lin., lat. $ lin. 
Habitat in Mexico. 
Allied to C. morio, but narrower and more depressed. Oblong-ovate, depressed, black, 
sparingly clothed with griseous pubescence, sparsely punctate, the punctures not coarse 
nor deep. The thorax with a flat space in the middle; the base bisinuate, sides rounded, 
turned in rapidly near the posterior angles, which are obtuse, so that there is a marked 
break in the profile of the sides between the thorax and elytra; slightly emarginate in 
front, anterior angles obtuse. Scutellum rather closely punctate at its base, apex im- 
punctate. Elytra black, nigro-piceous near the scutellum, punctate in rows not very 
close to each other, about eighteen on each elytron, the punctures in the alternate rows 
in some instances having a tendency to run together, so as to be punctate-striate; the 
punctures are oblong, instead of round as on the thorax; the pubescence is short, and 
runs along the rows. Pygidium broad, rather closely punctate, the other abdominal 
segments very faintly punctate. Legs and antennæ piceous. 
This species is not without relations to C. morio, and is closely allied to C. fulvipes and 
to C. ater. From C. morio and its allies it may be distinguished, without close examina- 
tion, by its narrower and more depressed form and by the flat middle of the thorax. The 
coarse punctuation of C. fulvipes, its parallel form, and parallel sides of the thorax 
prevent its being confounded with it; and from C. ater it may be distinguished by the 
different colour of the pubescence (which in C. ater is black) and by the different punc- 
tuation on the elytra, which in this species is oblong and in not very close rows, while 
in C. ater the punctures are closer, round, larger, and scarcely in rows, and, further, 
by the pygidium of C. ater being narrow, raised, and impunctate at the apex. Under 
the microscope the acicular chitinous texture of the elytra (like that easily seen in 
the different species of Calathus) is visible in this species, and scarcely, or not at all, 
in C. ater. 
From Santarem. 
The variety Sallei differs in being a little more depressed and somewhat broader, with 
the sides of the thorax less rounded, and in being somewhat less punctate, but in other 
respects is similar, and stands the microscopic test of its texture. 
From Mexico. 
