104 [April, 



Thus, the wliite dorsal maris were distinct on the thoracic segments, but repre- 

 sented on the abdominal by faint irrorations only ; the white spiracular line was 

 broad and continuous in the former region, but reduced in the latter to a large spot 

 at tne divisions. The colours besides were much modified, the healthy yellow-brown 

 or orange ground being replaced by red, and the browns by red-browns. 



Tarrington, Ledbury : 



February 1th, 1890. 



CARDIOPHORUS EQUISETI, HERBST, A SPECIES NEW TO BRITAIN. 

 BT W. F. H. BLANDFOKD, M.A., F.E.S. 



At the meeting of the Eutomological Society of London in August, 

 1889, I sbowed, as Cardiophorus cinereus, Ilerbst, Er., two specimens 

 of a Cardioplwrus taken in South "Wales. I received them freshly 

 caught in a small collection made for me by Miss E. A. L. Daltry, who 

 tells me that she tooh them in long grass on the cliff between Tenby 

 and Manorbier on May 29th, 1SS9. 



The black Cardiopliori form a group of closely-allied forms, no- 

 torious for the confusion connected with them, and for the errors in 

 synonymy which have prevailed. 



Among them C. asellvs, Er., is distinguished by having the tarsal 

 claws simple, whereas, in C. cinereus, Hbst., Er., and C. equiseti, Hbst., 

 Er., the most important and generally-confounded congeners, the claws 

 are dentate on their concave margin, an important distinction, which 

 serves as a starting point for differentiation in the genus. 



My two specimens differed in the relative width of thorax and 

 elytra, which, as in other species, I took to be a sexual character ; but 

 not feeling sure about my diagnosis, and, on further study of the 

 European species, being unable to decide definitely as to which to refer 

 them, I asked Mr. G. C. Champion to undertake their examination. 

 He kindly did this with great care, and found that in only one speci- 

 men were the claws dentate. It is remarkable that neither I nor any 

 dne else had detected this before, as they have been often under the 

 microscope ; I certainly did not suspect that they were distinct, and 

 as-the claws of one were more or less hidden by gum, it remained 

 unnoticed. 



One of my two specimens is therefore C. asellus ; the other one 

 Mr. Champion refers to C. equiseti (Hbst., Er., nee Steph.), a species 

 unrecorded from Britain. 



0. cinereus was introduced as a British species by Mr. G. R. 

 "Waterhouse, in his paper, " On the Elaterida? of the Stephensian 

 Cabinet " (Trans. Eut. Soc, 1859). He there says, "The true Elater 



