CANTHARID.E. — CANTHAKIS. 69 



Black, obscure: head ^AicA,-/;/ and coarsely jDa?ic^Mre'i, the punctures often con- 

 fluent : thorax transverse^ broadest in front, with a faint dorsal furrow, and 

 thickly pvmctured throughout : eJj/tra bluish-black, with conjluent shining 

 glabrous elevations, the interstices rugose and black : abdomen above deep- 

 black, each segment with a rugose patch ; beneath glabrous shining, with 

 the margin of each segment punctured behind: legs and antennae black. 

 Female with the elytra obliquely truncate. 



Found in the spring in the neighbourhood of Margate, and very 

 common at that season near " Southend." — Rev. F. W. Hope. 



Sp. 4. variegatus. Subaeneus, variegatus, capite thoraceque punctatis, elytris 

 scabrosis. (Long. corp. 8 lin. — 1 unc. 9 lin.) 



Me. variegatus. Donovan — Linn. Trans. {Leach.) xi. pi. vi. /. 1, 2. — Me. 

 scabrosus. Steph. Catal. 254.. No. 2516. 



Head coppery-black, with the sides tinted with purple-violet, with more or less 

 confluent punctures : thorax transverse, brassy or coppery-black, punctured, 

 the punctures frequently confluent, the margins elevated and violaceous : 

 elytra brassy-black, with elevated confluent shining points, the interstices 

 obscure : abdomen of the male entirely scabrous, with the dorsal segments 

 anteriorly golden-green, and posteriorly violaceous red-copper, beneath varie- 

 gated ivith purple and gold j of the female black, v.'ith a large scabrous patch 

 on each segment, anteriorly golden-green, posteriorly rufous-violet, beneath 

 variegated with purple, gold, and green ; legs black, obscurely violaceous, 

 femora shining purple-violet : antennae dull brassy-violet. 



Also abundant in the Isle of Thanet in the spring, especially in 

 the vicinity of Ramsgate and Broadstairs, where it was taken in pro- 

 fusion some years since by G. Milne, Esq. 



Genus CCCCLXX. — Camtharis, Geoffroy. 



Antenna filiform, longer than the thorax, with the articulations for the most 

 part subobconic, or subcylindric, larger than broad, the basal joint large, 

 clavate, the second minute, terminal one elongate, obconic-oval, acute. 

 Palpi unequal, maxillary with the terminal joint subovate; labial subcylin- 

 dric : head large, cordate, deflexed, broader than the thorax, the latter small, 

 broadest in front, subquadrate, rather narrower than the elytra, which are 

 as long as the body, soft, linear, slightly inflexed on the sides, rather convex 

 on the back and rounded, with the apex faintly gaping : body elongate : 

 wings two, ample : legs elongate ; tibice slightly curved, and a little incras- 

 ■ sate at the apex : tarsi slender. 



Exclusively of its ample wings, Cantharis differs from Meloe by 

 having elongate linear elytra, with very dissimilar antennae and palpi: 



