ELATERIDiE. CATAPHAGUS. 249 



El. marginatus. Linne. — He. marginatus. Steph. Catal. 121. No. 1230. 



Pitchy-brown, slightly pubescent : head dusky ; forehead very prominent, 

 thickly punctured: thorax sublinear, moderately convex, closely punctate, 

 black, with the angles and lateral margins more or less testaceous; sometimes 

 of the latter colour, with a dusky spot in the middle of the disc : scutellum 

 dusky-testaceous : elytra sublinear, slightly convex, regularly punctate-striated, 

 the interstices thickly rugose-punctate, pale testaceous, with a broad fuscous- 

 black common patch on the back, attenuated and nearly evanescent towards 

 the apex, the lateral margins sometimes slightly dusky : sides and apex of 

 the abdomen, legs, and antenna?, testaceous. 



Extremely variable in colour, some examples being of an uniform testaceous 

 hue, and all intermediate grades between that and the above described 

 occurring. 



Very common in woods throughout the metropolitan district: 

 also found in Devonshire, Norfolk, &c. " Baron Wood/' — T. C. 

 Hey sham, Esq. " Epping." — Mr. Doubleday. " Neighbourhood 

 of Bottisham, common." — Rev. L. Jenyns. " Common in woods 

 and among herbage (near Swansea)." — L. W. Dilkcyn, Esq. 



B. With the forehead and thorax very convex; body oblong. 



Sp. 4. sputator. Niger pubescens, subnitidus, thorace longiori, ante/mis, elytris 

 pedibusque testaceis. (Long. corp. 3 — 3^- lin.) 



EL sputator. Linne. — He. sputator. Steph.' Catal. 121. No. 1231. 



Black, pubescent, slightly shining : thorax rather longer than broad, its lateral 

 margins nearly straight, immarginate, the disc very thickly punctate, with 

 an obsolete channel, black, with the exterior edge of the anterior margin and 

 the posterior angles testaceous: scutellum dusky-testaceous: elytra a little 

 attenuated at the apex, rather deeply punctate-striate, the interstices faintly 

 punctate, sometimes obscure testaceous, or pitchy-fuscous, or nearly black : 

 abdomen sometimes piceous: legs and antennae testaceous; the former some- 

 times dusky. 



Smaller, more glossy, with the thorax less gibbous, and the antennae and legs 

 generally paler than the following insect. 



Very abundant in meadows and pastures, I believe, throughout 

 England. " This and the two following species in profusion, 

 in rejectamenta, after a flood, Hackney Marshes." — Mr. Ingpen. 

 " Epping." — Mr. Doubleday. " Common (near Swansea). 1 ' — 

 L. W. Dtihcyn, Esq. 



Sp. 5. obscurus. Brevis nigro-fuscus, pubescens, opacus, antice obiusus, thorace 

 gibbo, antennis pedibusque J'usco- testaceis. (Long. corp. 4— lA lin.) 



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