TELEPHORTDiE. — TELEPHORUS. 293 



securiform : maxilla bilobed : head nutant, suborbicular : thorax suborbicular : 

 body elongated, soft : elytra as long as tbe abdomen, covering the wings. 



The insects of tins genus may be at once known from the Mal- 

 thini by having the elytra as long as, or longer than, the abdo- 

 men, and the terminal joint of the palpi securiform, exclusively of 

 their comparatively gigantic bulk : they are very active insects, 

 fly with considerable rapidity in the sunshine ; they appear towards 

 the middle or the end of spring, frequenting umbelliferous and other 

 flowers for the sake of the insects therein, being extremely vora- 

 cious, some of them not sparing even their own species : — they vary 

 greatly, and from the number of species and their diversity of 

 structure, I have divided the genus into sections, for the conve- 

 nience of more readily ascertaining them : their antennse are said 

 to differ in structure amongst individuals of the same species ; but 

 this anomaly I have not observed ; and which I conceive has only 

 occurred where species have been assumed to be mere varieties; in 

 which case a discrepancy might be apparent. 



A. With the sides of the thorax scarcely rounded. 



a. With the thorax transverse, the lateral margins cut out behind (antenna 

 serrated, with the second joint minute J. 



Sp. 1. ruficollis. Ater, ore, thorace, abdomineque nifis. (Long. corp. 3 — 3^ 



lin.) 

 Ca. ruficollis. Fabricius.—Te. ruficollis. Steph. Catal. 130. No. 1318. 



Head black, mouth rufous: thorax immaculate rufous, the disc foveolated: 

 elytra black : scutellum and breast the same ; wings fuscous : abdomen 

 rufous: legs and antenna? black, the latter serrated. 



This insect is doubtless the Cantharis ruficollis of the Systema Entomologia of 

 Fabricius; but in his latter works he refers to Sulzer, plate vi. f. 6, which 

 represents an insect at least twice as long : — the serrated antennae and excised 

 thorax well distinguish it from its congeners. 



Apparently rare, being very seldom found within the metro- 

 politan district: I have obtained specimens from Norfolk. " Ep- 

 ping.'" — Mr. Dotibleday. " Swansea." — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 



b. With the thorax transverse, the posterior angles entire. 

 1. Antenna? with the second joint much shorter than the third. 



Sp. 2. thoracicus. Rufo-testaceus, vertice, antennarum apice, elytrisque nigris, 



pectore piceo. (Long. corp. 3^ — 4 lin.) 

 Te. thoracicus. Olivier.— Steph. Catal. 130. No. 1319. 



