SILPHID^. NECROPHORUS. 10 



Ne. interruptus, mihi. — Ne. Sepultor. DeJean? — Steph. Catal. 75. No. 803.* 

 Ne. Vespillo. Samouelle, pi. 2. f. 6. 



Glossy- black ; antennae with the terminal joints orange ; the elytra with two 

 irregular transverse bright fulvous-orange bands, interrupted at the suture, 

 and united exteriorly by the luteo-fulvous margin of the elytra; thorax 

 naked. 



The interrupted and clear fulvous-orange fasciae on the elytra, with the usually 

 smaller size of the insect, at once distinguish this species from the foregoing, 

 with which it has hitherto been confounded. My friend Professor Henslow 

 first called my attention to the point of its distinction from Ne. vestigator; 

 and from an attentive examination of a numerous series of examples, I am 

 satisfied that it is not a variety of that insect, from which, exclusively of the 

 above characters, it also differs in having the interrupted fasciae on the elytra 

 either of a nearly similar width, or the posterior one the broadest, whereas 

 the contrary is the case with the preceding species. 



Much less abundant than the last : found in various places within 

 the metropolitan district; in Norfolk, the New Forest, &c. 

 " Found with the preceding, but occurs much less frequently." 

 — Rev. L. Jenyns and C. Darwin, Esq. " Once found at Ealing." 

 —Rev. F. W. Hope. 



Sp. 6. Mortuorum. Niger, elytris fascia lata crenulatti, maculaque reniformi 

 apicis aurantiacis, antennarum clavd nigrd. (Long. corp. 5 — 9 lin.) 



Ne. Mortuorum. Fabricius. — Steph. Catal. 75. No. 804.— Si. Mortuorum. 

 Don. xv. pi. 537. f. 2. 



Black ; the elytra with a broad crenulated orange fascia at the base, and a reni- 

 form or lunate spot at the apex, not connected to the anterior, as in the two 

 last-mentioned species, by a luteous margin to the elytra, the base and middle 

 of the reflexed margin alone being of that colour : antennae with the capitu- 

 lum black. 



The black club to the antenna, and the simple spot towards the apex of the 

 elytra, are the most conspicuous marks of distinction between this and its 

 fasciated congeners. 



Not so abundant as Ne. Vespillo, but found throughout the 

 metropolitan district. " Not yet observed by me in Cambridge- 



* During the progress of the early portion of my Systematic Catalogue 

 through the press, I obtained a hasty view of Gyllenhal's fourth volume, pre- 

 viously to the receipt of my own copy, which did not arrive till nearly half the 

 Catalogue was printed: — the references thereto are consequently less definite 

 than they might otherwise have been; and in this, as in one or two other in- 

 stances hereafter to be pointed out, appear to be erroneous. 



