18 



£. Are continued quite to the apex - - N. biguttatus, N. 4t-punctatus, 

 N. substriatus. 



Aquations is distinguished from palustris by being longer ; the sides of the 

 thorax are not so rounded in front nor so narrowed behind as in palustris, 

 which is shorter and has the tibiae yellowish in the middle. The legs in 

 aquations are wholly black. Biguttatus and 4<-punctatus have the punctured 

 strise very distinct, the punctures being coarse and deep, while substriatus 

 (which Dawson regards as a variety of biguttatus), has the strise and punc- 

 tures extremely fine and indistinct. All the species of the genus have a more 

 or less distinct impression just before the middle of each elytron, and 4- 

 punctatus is distinguished from biguttatus by having two punctures on each 

 elytron } one immediately in front ©f, the other behind, the middle. Bigutta- 

 tus has generally a pale yellow mark at the apex of the elytra, but varieties 

 occur (semipunctatus, Fab.) which have the apex entirely bronze. 



Biguttatus and aquaticus are very common — the former in dry, the latter 

 in wet places ; palustris is fairly common ; substriatus seems local, preferring 

 sandy situations; rufipes is decidedly scarce; A-punctatus turns up now and 

 then, but biguttatus often occurs with one impression on one side and two 

 on the other, which led Mr. Crotch to suggest what is now pretty generally 

 believed, that 4<-punctatus is simply an accidental form of biguttatus. It 

 must be remembered that the insects of this genus, like many others, have a 

 tendency to become black on boggy ground, and I have captured several 

 specimens of aquaticus of this colour on boggy mountain sides near 

 Llangollen. 



ELAPHRTJS. 



1. Tibiae and tarsi blue-black - - uliginosus. 



This species also has the thorax suddenly narrowed behind th e middle. 



2. Tibiae testaceous (pale yellow), tarsi blue or green - - cupreus and 



riparius. 



Riparius is very easily distinguished from cupreus by having a very distinct, 

 raised, highly polished space near the base of each elytron, which is absent in 

 cupreus. The latter is also larger than riparius. E. lapponicus I have never 

 seen. It is described as being more oblong than the others of the genus, as 

 being larger (measuring nearly half-an-inch), and having the eye-spots on 

 the elytra very obscure. 



The species of this genus inhabit swampy places, where they run with 

 great agility during the hottest sunshine, reminding one of a Cicindela. Cup- 

 reus and riparius are common ; uliginosus is local ; and lapponicus is very 

 scarce, the only specimens, as far as I know, having been captured on 

 mountains in Scotland. 



