334 Mr. G. R. Waterhouse's Descriptions of 



spending expansion of tlie black at the side of the elytron ; but 

 behind the centre the sutiual band is considerably contracted 

 before it reaches the apex, where again it dilates to join the black 

 of the margin. Sometimes the sutural band is suddenly con- 

 tracted a little behind the middle of the elytra, and completely 

 disappears; and occasionally the dark colour is so diffused, that 

 the red almost disappears. Among the various described varieties 

 of Sc. d'lsco'ideus, I do not see any which completely correspond 

 with the present species in the colouring. 1 see none in which 

 the black on the suture, for instance, is somewhat suddenly 

 dilated in the middle, as is frequently the case in the Sc. Mulsanti. 

 Specimens of this insect stand in Stepliens' collection to repre- 

 sent the '^ Scymnus Umhatus, Kirby's MSS.," but the original 

 description must be taken from some other insect^ since in the 

 " Illustrations " the legs are said to be " pitchy-black." 



Scymnus Umhatus^ Kirby, MSS. and Collection; Steph. Illustr. 

 iv. p. 395. 

 Sc. breviter ovatus, niger, pilosus ; elytris fortius regulariter 

 punctatis, obscure ferrugineis, sutura apiceque late, mar- 

 ginibus lateralibus anguste, nigro-marginatis ; corpore subtus 

 minus crebre punctato, pectore canaliculato ; antennis, palpis, 

 pedibusque nigricantibus. 



Decidedly smaller, and of a more convex and shorter form than 

 Sc. discoideus, from which it is further distinguished by the more 

 distinct puncturing of the elytra — here the punctures are more 

 widely separated and of equal size, and the intervening spaces are 

 perfectly even (not rugulose) ; the elytra are less ample ; the pu- 

 bescence shorter; the abdominal plate is rather more extended 

 towards the apex of the first abdominal segment, but its transverse 

 diameter is less, and its curve is more sudden, showing a slight 

 tendency to assume an angular form behind. From Sc. Mulsanti 

 it may be distinguished by its shorter and obtusely rounded elytra, 

 the more distinct and less dense punctuation of the elytra and 

 under parts of the body, the decidedly smaller size of the abdo- 

 minal plates, the distinct pectoral groove, and the black legs with 

 the femora less inflated. The very broad black band which runs 

 along the suture is usually pretty equal in width, and the apex of 

 t!ie elytra is pretty broadly margined, but the sides are very nar- 

 rowly edged with black. 



I possess four specimens of this insect ; the locality of only one 

 of them I have noted, and that was from the Hammersmith 



