Malachius (a name derived from the Greek, and alluding 

 to the soft and delicate texture of the insect,) was first esta- 

 blished as a genus by Fabricius. May and June are the 

 months that produce these beetles, some of them appearing 

 occasionally in abundance. M. ceneus I have seen in great 

 plenty flying in the sunshine in grass fields, and M. bipustu- 

 latus upon the flowers of umbellate plants, where they either 

 fed upon the flowers or upon the insects which they attracted. 

 They are nearly all of a fine green, inclining more or less to 

 blue or yellow, spotted or marked with orange or scarlet : but 

 the peculiarity most worthy of observation is the curious red 

 inflated appendages like little bladders, on the sides of the 

 thorax and abdomen, which may be for the purpose of en- 

 abling the insect to increase or decrease its gravity during 

 flight. 



The following are British species : 



1. M. aeneus Linn.^ Panz. 10. 2. Don. 3. 96. 2. 



2. bipustulatus Linn., Fanz. 10. 3. Don. 15. 528. 2. 2. 



3. viridis Fab., Oliv. 2. tab. 3./. 14<. 



4. marginellus Fab., Oliv. 2. tab. S.f. 18. 



5. bispinosus Nob. 



6. sanguinolentus Fab., Oliv. 2. tab. 2>.f. 13, 



7. ruficollis Panz. 2. 10. 7iot of Fab. 



8. rubricollis Marsh., Gyll. — ruficollis Fab., Oliv. 2. 



tab. 2-/9. 



9. thoracicus Fab., Oliv. 2. tab. 2.f. 10. 



10. fasciatus Linn., Panz. 10. 5. Don. 15. 528. 1.1. 



11. bituberculatus. 



12. pulicarius Fab., Oliv., Panz. 10. 4. 



1 3. apicalis. 

 It. humeralis. 



In consequence of the curious tubercles terminated by 

 bristles which are produced at the apex of the elytra, the 

 name of bisjmiosics has been given to our insect, two of which 

 we took in Norfolk several years since ; but as we can find no 

 other distinctions between it and M. marginellus, excepting 

 its smaller size and more robust antennae, especially at their 

 base, which are sexual characters, we suspect it is only the 

 male of that species. 



The plant is Adonis autumnalis (Pheasant's-eye). 



