affecting the Turnips, Corn- crops, S^-c. 
187 
more than twice as long, elliptical, convex, slightly rugose, with 
nine punctured striae on each : antenna; and legs rulbus ; the 
former not longer than the thorax, slender, the joints obconic, 
basal the stoutest, second a little longer than the third, whicli is 
the smallest : feet with five distinct joints : length from 3 to 3f 
' lines, and breadth from 1 to 1^. Obs. : some specimens are en- 
tirely tawny, excepting the black eyes and tips of the mandibles ; 
whilst others have the head and thorax only black, the hinder 
margin of the latter and the spines being tawny as well as the 
elytra. From this great difference of colour, this Elater was 
named E. variabilis by Herbst; and PaykuU, thinking it was the 
same as the next described species, ga^ e it the name of E. obscurus. 
E. sputator is very abundant everywhere from the beginning of 
May to the end of June in hedges, on grass under oaks, in corn- 
fields, &c.; it occurs also in profusion amongst rejectamenta left 
"by floods. 
2. E. obscurus. Linn. (fig. 25), named also E. variabilis by 
Fabricius and E. obtusus by De Geer. It is rather more robust 
than the former, and the sides of the thorax are more convex : it 
is piceous, densely clothed with short depressed ochreous hairs : 
the head and thorax are thickly and distinctly punctured ; the 
latter is as broad as it is long, orbicula", very convex ; the posterior 
angles are produced into strong s})ines, and there is a channel 
down the back : scutel oval : elytra not broader than the thorax, 
and nearly three times as long, elliptical and convex, the extremity 
when united conical, the apex of each rather acute, reddish brow-n 
and punctured, each having nine punctured striae somewhat in 
pairs : antennae a little clavate, quite as long as the thorax ; basal 
joint stout, second and third of equal length, shorter and smaller 
than the following, the terminal one ovate-conic (fig. 13), reddish 
brown as well as the legs : the feet or tarsi distinctly five-jointed : 
length 4| lines to 4|, breadth 1-^ to 1|. Obs.: the pubescence 
is so thick on perfect specimens as to give them a dull brown tint 
all over, whilst others which are old and rubbed appear blackish. 
From April to Midsummer this beetle is abundant in fields, pas- 
ture lands, woods, and gardens. It was this species which Mr, 
Paul, of Starston in Norfolk, bred from the Wireworms.* 
3. E. lineatus, Linn. (fig. 26) ; E. striatus, Panzer; segetis, 
Bierk., Gyll. This insect is supposed to be a variety only of the 
foregoing E. obscurus, with the elytra or wing-cases striped, the 
spaces between the striaB being alternately dark and light, forming 
four brown and five testaceous lines. It is an exceedingly common 
species in various situations, and is the most frequently bred from 
the larvae by those who have taken the pains to rear them : in 
April I have found great numbers under stones by the sea-shore ; 
* Kirby and Spence's Introd. to Ent., 6th edit., vol. i. ji. 147. 
