14 Mr. John Curtis's Critical Remarks 



also for this species to the " Zoo]. Journal, vol. iv. p. 211, under 

 the name of Elatcr jnlintr/atus," but this is altogether an unac- 

 countable mistake, for nothing of the kind is to be found. All 

 Mr. Stephens' other synonyms being copied from Gyllenhal, they 

 do not belong to this species but to the Swedish naturalists' E. 

 aterrimus. 



My specimen of this very distinct species was taken at Dover 

 by the late Mr. Leplastrier, and two were captured in a meadow 

 near Twickenham, Surrey, June, 1827. I am also indebted to 

 Mr. T. Marshall for a fine fennale, which he discovered, with 

 twelve others and two males, last July, on a rush at Sandown, near 

 Deal ill Kent. 



As I have now shown that three distinct species, belonging to 

 different genera, have all been described to represent the Elater 

 aterrimus o^ Linnaeus, it must be borne in mind that at present the 

 true type has not been detected as an inhabitant of our island; that 

 the E. aterrimus of " British Entomology" is apparently a species un- 

 known and hitlierto undescribed, except in that work ; and that the 

 E. aterrimus of Stephens' " Illustrations" is the E, puucto-lineatus 

 of the Zoological Journal. It is possible the two last may have 

 been described in foreign works; but at present, not being able to 

 ascertain that such is the case, I have identified them by adopting 

 Mr. Pelerin's name for one species, and applying my manuscript 

 name to the other. 



I will now proceed to continue my remarks upon a few other 

 species of Elaters, which are either but little known or have been 

 described in miscellaneous works, where they have not met the 

 entomological eye, especially upon the Continent. 



Sp. 4. Elater nigrinus, Payk. iii. 39, 44. (PI. II. fig. 4.) 



Shining black, clothed with rather short depressed fuscous pu- 

 bescence. Antennae scarcely longer than the thorax (fig. g), 

 basal joint clavate, second and third smaller, the former subglo- 

 bose, the latter subovate, the following much broader, compressed 

 and obtrigonate. Head convex (fig. h), rather coarsely punc- 

 tured ; clypeus subtrigonate and margined ; trophi nearly con- 

 cealed. Thorax semioval, convex, not very thickly punctured; 

 anterior margin concave, angles projecting and acute; pectoral 

 spine long, sharp and inflexed. Elytra a little broader than the 

 thorax, and more than twice as long, tapering considerably 

 beyond the middle, punctured, rugose when highly magnified, 

 deeply striated. Legs slender, pitchy; tarsi long, very slender, 

 simple, fibrous. Underside punctured. 



3 & 4 lines long, 1 1. broad. 



