should have been unable to obtain a glance at the individual front
which Prof. Westwood’s excellent figure which accompanied the
diagnosis was drawn. Judging from the plate alone, I should have
been contented to cite the following species (which I describe under
the trivial name of vestitm) as the true M. westwoodii, had not
Chevrolat distinctly stated his insect to be glabrous, and not only to
h a v e its elytra less parallel (or more expanded behind the middle)
and with the base and suture raised, but its tibia; likewise (as I
believe) to he more curved and robust. Still it is not impossible
that Chevrolat’s example may have been an old and worn one, from
which the rather sparing and delicate pubescence had been rubbed
off, in which case there is at least an additional chance that it may
prove eventually to be identical with my M. vestitm; but, as the
group is evidently rich in species, I am inclined to suspect that the
‘ raised suture’ and other minute characters (as recorded) will tend
to separate the M. westwoodii from its manifestly near ally.
*M. vestitus, Woll.—Slightly under one-eighth of an inch in
length; a rare species, and confined to the native vegetation on the
• upper land. _
*M. lacertosus, Woll.—A small dull black, very slight Beetle,
an eighth of an inch in length, taken from the dry stems of Lacha-
nodes leucadendron and other native trees on Diana s Peak.
*M. dimidiatus, Woll—A small species, apparently not much, if
a t all, larger than the last, of which Mr. Wollaston writes
“ Although with abundant distinctive features of its own, m certain
respects it is slightly intermediate between the lacertosus and lucifugus,
combining somewhat the size and outline of the former with the less
opaque and more punctured surface of the la tte r; yet neither in
outline nor in sculpture is it in anywise identical with either of
them.” “ I t has a faint tendency, under a high microscopic power,
to be studded posteriorly with minute cinereous pubescence. Instead
of being opaque, alutaceous, and tuberculated, like the lacertosus, it
is, as in the case of the lucifugus, faintly shining and punctured. Its
punctures, however, are not so densely crowded together, or so
coarse, as in the latter species; and its elytra (which are scarcely so
long as the anterior portion of the body) are more conspicuously
striate, and with a single row of punctures down each interstice. Its
legs are exceedingly short, like those of the lacertosus; and its prothorax
is very largely developed—indeed, more so, perhaps, in proportion
IN SE C TA .
to the size of the insect, than in any of the other members of the
eenus which have hitherto been brought to light. . , .
*M . lu c i f u g u s , Woll.—A stout Beetle, a quarter of an inch v
length, less glossy than some of the others, and passing rom |
to ¿d u ll rod i . colour. I t i, certainly the most ab » n d » t specres oS
this genus, and occurs plentifully in the stems of exotic plants: »
well as of the native gobblegheer (Psoralea pmnata and rosemary
(Phylica rosmarinifolia), at an altitude of 2000 feet a ove ie 8®a
*M . t e r e b r a n s , Woll.—A species undoubtedly rare at th
present time, since I failed to meet with it. I t was captured at fet
Helena by the late Mr. Bewicke in I860, and Mr. Wollaston says
of it- “ In its brassy hue and shining surface it recedes from t
preceding members of the group, and assimilates those which follow
but the fact of its tibim being simple will at once separate it fro
the whole of the latter except the M. ohliteratus and delnlis. Apart
however, from its different outline, and perhaps rather less mten y
brassy tinge, it may be known from both of these by its> rg e r size
and by being altogether more coarsely and closely punctured. Ik
elytra! striae, moreover, are deeper at their extreme base, and have
the appearance at first sight of short divergent grooves.
*M . o b l i t e r a t e , Woll.—A short, thick, ovate, highly-polishe
black Beetle, in general appearance somewhatresemb ing . com-,
collis but it is not found so abundantly in the Island.
*M . d e b i l i s , Woll.—A very shiny black species, about the same
length as the last, viz., one-eighth of an
taken from the cabbage-trees and ferns on the hig
Dia*M a n g e tu s , Woll.—Mr. Wollaston describes this as rather
larger than the last species, “ and also relatively longer, narrower,
and more cylindrical, the elytra (instead of bemg consMera y
rounded outwards behind the middle) being very little expand
at the sides.” I t also inhabits the indigenous plants on the tag
lan<*M . c o s s o n o id e s , Woll.—This large, very shiny black Beetle,
taken from the native cabbage-trees on the highest land near
Diana’s Peak, is about one-tliird of an inch m length, and not y
abundant. M r . Wollaston writes of i t : “ The comparatively gigantic
size and elongated rostrum and limbs of this, fine
would of themselves suffice to distinguish it from eveiy oth