222 Mr. E. W. Janson's Observations on the 



XXI. Observations on the Species of Elateridse described 

 by Mr. Curtis in the First Part of the Third Volume of 

 the New Series of the Transactions of the Entomological 

 Society of London. By E. W. Janson, Esq. 



[Read 5th March, 1855.] 



1. Ectimis aterrinius, Linn. I perfectly agree with Mr. Curtis 



that this insect has, at present, no claim whatever to a place 

 in our lists, into which it has been introduced both by Mr. 

 Curtis and Mr. Stephens. 



2. Ectinus ? gagales, Curtis ; Elater aterrinius, Curtis, olim, but 



not of Linne. X'^'^ insect does not pertain to the genus 

 Ectinus ; the anterior margin of the head or clypeus projects 

 over the upper lip, which takes a perpendicular direction, and 

 is at nearly a right angle with the clypeus, and the covers of 

 the posterior thighs are dilated internally and furnished with 

 a large tooth ; characters totally at variance with those upon 

 which the illustrious and accurate Eschscholtz, (between whose 

 distribution and that of Latreille, Mr. Curtis has drawn a 

 comparison unfavourable to the former,) has founded the 

 genus, 



Mr. Curtis's insect is Ampedus lugens of Redtenbacher, 

 and of whicli the late learned Professor of Halle, Dr. Germar, 

 has given an excellent description in his " Zeitschrift fiir die 

 Entomologie," v. p. 177, No. 40, (1844). It is the Ampedus 

 anlhracinus of Dejean's Catalogue, under which name I have 

 received it from Paris, where, 1 believe, it is not of uncommon 

 occurrence. Two British specimens, now in my hands, ap- 

 pertain to the rich collection of our indefatigable treasurer, 

 Mr. S. Stevens. 



3. A'^. G. ? punciolineatus, Zool. Journ. iv p. 524, Ectinus aterri- 



nius of the Stephensian cabinet. 



It appears to me that Mr. Pelerin's name should have been 

 added to the specific title adopted by Mr. Curtis for this in- 

 sect, but which is a Fabrician species ; the Elater niger of the 

 " Systema Eleutheratorum," ii. p. 227 (1801), but probably 

 not of Linne, recognizably figured by Panzer in the 101st 



