154 MANDIBULATA.— COLEOPTERA. 



The black patch at the base of the suture, concolorous lateral margins to the 

 thorax, and minute size, distinguish this from the rest of the genus. 



Taken near London. 



Genus CVL— -Sphleridium, Fabricius. 



Maxillary palpi four-jointed, the basal joint minute, the following robust, in- 

 crassated at the apex, the third and fourth of nearly equal length, the former 

 being slightly clavate, and the latter a little acuminated. Antenna rather 

 slender at the base, the four terminal joints forming a somewhat abrupt 

 compact club: head orbiculate, rounded anteriorly: body slightly convex: 

 scutellum elongated: elytra not striated: wings ample: legs rather stout: 

 tibiw very spinose, with powerful spurs at the apex : tarsi rather slender, 

 the anterior with the terminal joint dilated in the male. 



Sphseridium, as at present restricted, contains such insects only 

 as have the tibise very strongly compressed and furnished with 

 powerful spines, the body very broad and considerably depressed, 

 the elytra not striated, and the club of the antennae somewhat elon- 

 gate. The species regard the dung of oxen in preference to that of 

 horses, although occasionally found in the latter; thus differing in 

 habit from the Cercya, which affect the latter in preference to the 

 former. Like the insects of the preceding genus, the species, which 

 are extremely variable, considerably resemble each other; and in 

 describing the following as distinct, I cannot but remark, that, al- 

 though some of them rest upon doubtful points, it appears to me 

 that modern writers have fallen into the error of confounding: a 

 genus consisting of variable individuals with a species. 



Sp. 1. scarabaeoides. Atrum, nitidum, thoracis margine concolore, elytris ma- 

 cula, humerali rubro-sanguined apicisjlavescente. (Long. corp. 3 — 3^ lin.) 



De. scarabffioides. Linnet— Don. vii. pi. 231. /. 4.— Sp. scarabaeoides. Steph. 

 Catal. p. 65. No. 687. 



The largest species of the genus : deep-black, shining; the entire surface finely 

 and thickly punctulated : head immaculate : thorax black, with the lateral 

 margins concolorous: elytra with a single stria near the suture, anteriorly 

 evanescent, each at the base with an oblique acuminated deep-red spot at the 

 shoulder, and a large transverse yellowish one at the apex: legs black, 

 variegated with testaceous : spines black. 



In some specimens the spot at the shoulder of the elytra is nearly evanescent, 

 and in others the apical one is nearly obliterated ; the margin of the elytra 

 has sometimes a narrow anteriorly abbreviated luteous streak. 



