324 Mr. A. Mm-ray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar. 



The first is that figured and described by Schonherr, under 

 the name oifoliaceus. It is the ohUtus of Dejean ; and the male 

 is easily recognized from those of the allied species by its large 

 size and the great degree of expansion and inflation of the elytra, 

 and by the apical black mark on the elytra not extending across 

 in nearly a straight line in front, but protruding forwards in three 

 more or less cm'ved, ill-defined breaks in each, the outer black 

 mark being marginal and reaching fmlher forward than the 

 two inner ones, as shown in PI. IX. fig. 1, which represents 

 the male. The suture is concave towards the apex of the 

 elytra, and the sutural angle ends in an incurved sharp point, 

 as shown in fig. 1, h. 



In none of the Lycidge of this group is much attention to be 

 paid to the colour of the underside of the body or of the limbs 

 or basal articles of the antennae. In this species the underside 

 is yellow, and the legs black ; but in some the body is brown ; 

 and in others the femora are yellowish, — considerable variation 

 occurring in the depth and intensity of the colour. 



This species is usually considered the same as the next ; but 

 I have found the above characters pretty constant, although in 

 the colom-iug there are undoubtedly indications of transition 

 between them, inasmuch as the anterior line of the black apical 

 patch in the next species shows sometimes breaks which, if 

 continued, would produce that of this species ; but I have never 

 been able to find a regular iininterrupted series of gradations 

 between the two. 



One argument in favour of their being distinct is that I have 

 only received some half dozen specimens of this species, and 

 these all in one envoi ^ whereas in all the other collections sent 

 the following species has been numerous. 



2. Lycus immersus. PI. IX. figs. 2 ( ? ) & 3 ( <? ). 

 Lrjcus xanthomelas, Schon. Syn. Ins. iv. App. 26, pi. 5. fig. 5, $ . 

 Niger, supra flavus, elytris postice nigris. L. foUaceo similis, 



sed minor. ^ . Elytris minus inflatis, macula apicali nigra 



majore emu margine anteriore fere recto. 

 (? . Long. 6-9 lin., lat. 5-7 lin. ? . Long. 5|-8 lin., lat. 2- 



3 1in. 



Smaller than L. foliaceus, differing in the form of the black 

 apical marking on the elytra, it being nearly straight in front, 

 or only extending very slightly further along the margin than 

 in the middle. The inflation of the elytra differs also a little 

 in shape, being broadest a little behind the middle, while in 

 L. foliaceus the expansion is nearly oblong oval, and widest in 

 the middle. The termination of the sutural angle is different, 

 being sinuate, as shown in fig. 3 b, instead of incurved as in 



