202 Mr. T. Vernon Wollaston on the 



Pt'tnus, — with which in nearly every external feature, except its 

 immense and very prominent eyes, its exceedingly slender legs 

 (ihe four hinder tarsi of which have their basal joint greatly elon- 

 gated), and the less abbreviated fourth-segment of its abdomen, it 

 entirely agrees. Nevertheless a more critical examination of it 

 has proved that, in addition to these outward particulars (which I 

 was prepared, to regard as specific ones), it possesses the most 

 extraordinary apical articulation of the labial palpi (vide 4d) which 

 I have already described as belonging to the last genus. It is 

 therefore strictly intermediate between Casapus and Ptinus : for, 

 whilst its only slightly shortened penultimate abdominal segment 

 and the anomalous excavation of its labial palpi would unite it 

 with the former, in the structure of its mandibles and metasternum, 

 as well as in its posteriorly coarctate prothorax, its distinct scu- 

 tellum and wings, and its general fades, it is coincident with the 

 latter. However in its enormous and greatly projecting eyes, no 

 less than in its very slender legs (with the above mentioned pe- 

 culiarity of their feet), and the more apically-acute central lobe of 

 its mentum, it recedes from both of those groups. Its habits, inore- 

 over (of which shortly) are somewhat singular. 



6. Dignomus graciVipes, n. sp. (PI. VIII. fig. 4.) 

 D. nigro-piceus ; prothorace parvo, squamis fuscis, albidis et 

 praesertim fusco-albidis dense tecto ; scutello albido-squa- 

 moso ; elytris profunda punctato-striatis, squamis albidis 

 parcius marmoratis (ad humeros ipsos fuscis), plaga media 

 indistinctd laterali (in singulo posita) squamis carente ; an- 

 tennis pedibusque gracilibus, rufo-ferrugineis, plus minus 

 fusco-albido -squamosis. 

 Long, corp, lin. li — If. 



Habitat in arenosis insularum Lanzarotse et Fuerteventurse, ra- 

 rissimus, — in stercore arido bovino, equino, camelino (nee humano), 

 latitans. 



On account of the fragile nature of tlie whitish scales with which 

 this singular insect is clothed, the elytra are usually a good deal 

 denuded, — giving the surface a clouded, or mottled, appearance. 

 Nevertheless a large lateral patch on either side, extending (like 

 a broken fascia) from the middle of the external margin to about 

 the disk of each elytron, seems normally to be more or less free 

 from scales ; and even another, smaller one, towards the apex, is 

 often faintly indicated. The species seems to be very rare, and 

 confined (so far as I have observed hitherto) to the dry snndy 

 plains of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, — where in March and 



