102 Proceedings of the 



led to suppose them distinct species. In the first place, the 

 antennae of these larger examples are somewhat more elongate 

 than those of the smaller specimens, and when they belong to 

 females are also somewhat less stout, which makes them when 

 taken as a whole look much longer than the antennae of the 

 smaller individuals. Then the elytra are more bellied out, so 

 that the whole animal assumes a more convex appearance ; at the 

 same time also the stria? of the elytra are more feebly marked in 

 this than in the other kind. Such examples are generally found 

 along with the rest, but not frequently, and are not of the typical 

 form. If there had not been laid before me by himself one of the 

 original typical examples from Germans fine collection, it would 

 not have been possible for me, from the short and imperfect de- 

 scription which Chaudoir gives of his C. longipennis* , to perceive 

 in it the just-described variety of C. nigricans, Spence." 



The description by M. Chaudoir to which M. Kraatz refers is 

 as follows, viz. : — 



" Near the umbrinus, a little larger, form more elongate : thorax 

 broader, more rounded on the sides : elytra less swollen out, 

 flatter, longer : antennae more slender, last joint of these smaller 

 and more pointed. 



" A male, found at Kiew in the garden of the town under dry 

 leaves, in the beginning of September •f." 



As to Erichson's fuliginosus, M. Kraatz goes on 



" B. The type of C. nigricans, sp., is the one described as 

 C. fuliginosus by Erichson, according to two specimens left by 

 Dr. Meuer to the Royal Museum (of Berlin). Those specimens 

 which are in the Royal Museum as C. nigricans are not fully 

 coloured, and, when we have only a few specimens for compa- 

 rison, such have altogether a different appearance from the full- 

 coloured specimens. If we compare more minutely Erichson's 

 clear descriptions of both species, we find, besides an agreement 

 on the most important points, only two differences. One is that 

 the antennas of C. fuliginosus are darker, which proceeds from the 

 perfectly full colouring of the animal. The other again is that 

 the sinuation of the hind margins of the thorax (which parti- 

 cularly characterizes this species) is in C. nigricans distinct, in 

 C. fuliginosus feeble, — a mark, which in individual cases is not 

 always present in equal force, and which also appears to the eye 

 of the observer in different aspects stronger or weaker than is 

 really the case. There are no specimens named C. fuliginosus, 

 Erichs., in the Royal Museum, but instead of it are C. caliginosus, 

 Erichs., evidently projected from the description of C.fuligi- 



* Kraatz in loc. cit. f Chaudoir in loc, cit. 



