10 



[Juue, 



Madeira, and the Canary Islands, viz., T. ohsccena, Wollaston, and T. 

 antliracina, Matthews, of the latter of which I was lucky enough to 

 find many specimens, though of the former I obtained but one. T. 

 anthracina is a distinct and well-marked species ; it belongs to the first 

 division of the genus, which comprises T. atomaria, and others, whose 

 thorax is much dilated at the base, with its posterior angles produced 

 beyond the shoulders of the elytra ; but from all these it may be easily 

 known by its small size, deep black colour, and short black antennae. 



T. ohsccBna belongs to a group of which T. Guerinii may be con- 

 sidered the type, and all of which have pale or rufescent elytra, and 

 the thorax scarcely dilated at the base. In noticing this species I must 

 apologize to Mr. Wollaston for having formerly led him into error. 

 When, some years ago, he kindly sent me his specimen of T. ohsccena 

 for examination, I returned it to him with the observation, that I did 

 not consider it distinct from T. Guerinii ; and, in consequence of this 

 advice, Mr. Wollaston has since quoted his ohsccEna as a synonym of 

 Guerinii. 



At the period alluded to I was just entering upon the arduous, 

 and then almost hopeless, task of separating the confused mass of in- 

 sects which had already poured in upon me from all quarters of the 

 world, and I naturally felt anxious to avoid all unnecessary separation 

 of species ; but I soon discovered that it would be impossible to adhere 

 to such a system, and that the only method of arriving at any thing like 

 a true classification would be to follow the example of Col. Motschulsky, 

 and to divide wherever persistent characters could be observed sufficient 

 to justify a division. I found also that one of the most distinctive 

 specific characters exist in the superficial sculpture ; for, where this 

 proves to be identical, every other mark, such as shape and colour, will 

 always agree as a natural sequence. 



When I mounted the specimen I had taken at Sherwood, I was 

 much struck by the appearance of its sculpture ; this led to further 

 examination, and I found that, though differing from Guerinii, it coin- 

 cided exactly in this respect with ohsccena, and that both also diff'ered 

 from Guerinii in the comparative length of the elytra, and a few other 

 points of minor importance. I therefore feel no doubt that ohsccena is 

 distinct from Guerinii, and that Mr. Wollaston's name must be restored 

 to the species. 



A third species new to our list (also from Sherwood Forest) is an 

 extremely pretty Ftilium, allied to Pt. angulicolle, but easily distin- 

 guished by two deep converging lateral lines on the thorax, which is 

 nearly destitute of any central channel. It was found by Mrs. Matthews 



