128 Proceedings of the 



being narrower than the elytra ; but these characters are some- 

 times wanting, and in form the smaller specimens do not differ 

 from C. fumatus ; the clearer colour, the particularly strong dark 

 club of the antennae with its eighth joint proportionately smaller, 

 then serve to distinguish it ; but on the whole I am very doubtful 

 of its being more than a variety of fumatus, and it is with hesi- 

 tation I have placed it as a distinct species. 



Generally distributed over the north of Europe; but I have 

 not yet seen British specimens. 



28. C. brevicollis, Kraatz. 

 Catops brevicollis, Kraatz, Stett. Ent. Zeit. xiii. 436. 23. 

 " Ovatus, fusco-piceus ; antennis ferrugineis obsoletissime clavatis, 

 articulo ultimo duobus prcecedentibus longitudine cequali, acumi- 

 nato ; thorace fusco, transverso, basi latiore, angulis posticis 

 rotundatis ; elytris substriatis pedibusque rufo-testaeeis. 

 " Long, li lin." 



I have not seen this species. The following is M. Kraatz's 

 description : — 



" Nearly in the middle between C. fumatus and C. scitulus. 

 Easily distinguished from both by the wholly different thorax 

 and form of the antennae. Pitchy-brown; elytra and legs 

 brownish-yellow. The antennse are somewhat longer than the 

 head and thorax, reddish-brown throughout ; the club scarcely 

 perceptibly thickened ; the five last joints are only a little stouter 

 than those preceding, and are of equal breadth ; the first joint is 

 somewhat longer and a little stouter than the second ; the third 

 somewhat shorter than the second, distinctly larger than the 

 fourth, almost equal to the sixth ; fifth scarcely larger than those 

 on each side of it ; seventh half as long again and somewhat 

 stouter than the sixth, equal to the ninth ; eighth scarcely 

 slenderer, and half as long as those on each side of it ; tenth a 

 little shorter than ninth ; eleventh as long as ninth and tenth 

 together, from the middle outwards sharply acuminate. The 

 head is pitchy-black, very finely moderately densely punctate ; 

 the mouth brownish-yellow. The thorax of the breadth of the 

 elytra, broadest at the base, more than twice as broad as long, 

 tolerably strongly and symmetrically narrowed from the base 

 towards the front. The anterior angles are rounded, somewhat 

 depressed; the obtusely rounded hinder angles project a little 

 beyond the anterior margin of the elytra ; the posterior margin 

 is very feebly sinuated on both sides near the middle ; the upper 

 side is moderately, densely, finely shagreen-punctate, pitchy- 

 black ; the sides and posterior margin brownish, tolerably closely 

 covered with a long yellowish-grey pubescence. The elytra are 

 uniform, only slightly narrowed behind, densely and finely punc- 



