68 MANDIBULATA. — COLEOPTERA. 



as pointing out the distinctions of genera, it is clearly necessary to 

 divide the INIelocs into at least two groups ; the first of which shall 

 contain those species which have the antennae thickened in the mid- 

 dle, or more or less distorted, especially in the males ; the others 

 (which constitute the present genus) such as have them either filiform 

 or slightly incrassated at the apex, with the articulations straight, 

 and of similar form in the sexes. 



A. Antennae thickened towards the apex. 



Sp. ]. brevicollis. Niger, profunde punctata, thorace transversa hrevi, elytris 



subrugasis. (Long. corp. 5 — 9 lin.) 

 Me. brevicollis. Fabricius. — Linn. Trans. (^Leach.) xi. pi. vi. f. 9. — Steph. 



Catal. 253. No. 2513. 



Black, with a bluish tinge; head and thorax sometimes tinged with greenish; 

 deeply and coarsely punctured, each with a faint chainiel; the latter transverse, 

 and deeply emarginate behind: elytra subrugose., with the apex rounded: 

 abdomen atrous, with a subrugose shining patch on each segment above, 

 and shining and punctured beneath ; legs and antennae black, rather 

 thickened towards the apex. Male with the head broader than the thorax, 

 and the elytra covering the abdomen : female with the elytra shorter than 

 the abdomen. 



Of this species I once took a male in a sand-pit on Ockham-heath, 

 near Ripley, in April ; and I possess a female from the neighbour- 

 hood of Tavistock. Specimens have been captured near Christ- 

 church, and near AVindsor. 



B. Antennae not incrassated towards the apex. 



Sp. 2. punctatus. Niger, capite tharaceque punctatis, elytris punctis erosis 

 canfluentibus. (Long. corp. 5 — 9 lin.) 



Me. punctatus. Fabricius. — Steph. Catal. 253. No. 2524. — Me. autumnalis. 

 Linn. Trans. {Leach.) xi. pi. vi. f. 7, 8. 



Black: head somewhat rugose, with a longitudinal impressed line: thorax 

 transverse, with a longitudinal furrow and conjliient punctures ; emarginate 

 behind : elytra irregularly punctured, the punctures confluent, and the inter- 

 stices glabrous and shining : abdomen glabrous, punctured beneath : legs 

 and antennae black, the latter slightly pilose. 



Abundant in the autumn in the vicinity of Margate, and in other 

 parts of the Isle of Thanet : it has also occurred in the spring. 



Sp. 3. cicatricosus. Niger obscurus, capite tharaceque punctatis, elytris parurn 

 ccerulescentibus scabrosis. (Long. corp. 1 unc. — 1 unc. 9 lin.) 



Me. cicatricosus. Leach. — Linn. Trans. {Leach.) xi. pi. vi. f. 5, 6. — Steph. 

 Catal. 253. No. 2515. 



