us are found in their different stages in soft decayed wood, 

 often in the moist stumps of alders and sallows. The beetles 

 I have dug out of such situations early in the spring, but later 

 in the year they are generally found on flowers or upon the 

 trunks of trees. 



The three British species comprised in the genus Rhagium 

 are distinguished by their short antennae, having the 5th joint 

 longer than the adjoining ones ; the head is comparatively 

 large, the thorax spined, and the elytra rather broad and less 

 attenuated than the rest of the family, and the palpi are trun- 

 cated, the labial being hatchet-shaped. 



* Hargium Leach. Antennce mith the 5th joint stouter than 



the Uh. 



1. Indagator Fab. — Panz. 82. 5. — minutus Fab. var. 

 Shining black, hairy, punctured ; basal and anterior mar- 

 gins of thorax ferruginous ; elytra dull purplish, with 2 

 indistinct ochreous bands across the middle, and numerous 

 spots and marks of the same colour ; 3 elevated lines on 

 each, the 2 outer ones uniting before the apex : length 6 to 

 9 lines. 



I do not remember having seen a specimen of this insect 

 that was taken in England, but in Scotland it is said to be 

 common : the Rev. W. Little has taken it in abundance on 

 Raehills. 



** Antennce Jiliform, scarcely longer than the thorax. 



2. Inquisitor Linn. — Curt. B. E. pi. 750. — vulgare Leach. 

 May and June on umbelliferous flowers, also on those of 



the mountain-ash and white-thorn, and on the trunks of ash- 

 trees in Coomb Wood, the JNew Forest, Norfolk, and various 

 parts of England : in decayed fir and birch trees in the win- 

 ter, together with the following species on Raehills, Rev. W. 

 Little. 



*** Antennce slender, longer than the head and thorax. 



3. bifasciatum Fab. — Don. v. 3. pi. 94!. J". 1. — nigrolineata 

 Don. 10.pl. 353. 1. — bimaculata and dorsalis Marsh. Don. 

 ll.pl. 395. 1. vars. 



Brassy black above, punctured, with fine long hairs ; spines 

 of thorax inclining backward : elytra coarsely punctured, 

 with 3 slightly elevated lines on each, approximating to- 

 wards the apex, sides pale castaneous, with 2 ochreous sub- 

 lunate patches before, and 2 beyond the middle ; antennae 

 and legs pale castaneous : thighs blackish, excepting the 

 base : length 7 to 9 lines. 



An exceedingly variable species, found with the last in every 

 part of England, I believe, in May and June; in decayed trees 

 in abundance, at Wroxham and Horning, Norfolk ; also under 

 the bark of ash-trees. 



The Plant is Siwn latifolium, Broad-leaved Skirrett. 



