TOXIDIUM. 181 
One example only. Differs from all our other species in its broader ovate form, 
short legs, and very peculiarly formed antenne. 
5. Toxidium parvum, sp. n. 
Breve, ovale, valde convexum, nitidissimum, fere glabrum, elytris indistincte punctatis, nigrum ; capite modico ; 
oculis modicis, haud prominentibus ; pronoto modico, ad basim latissimo, glabro, nitidissimo, lateribus 
leviter marginatis et leviter rotundatis, margine basali haud sinuata, scutellum versus late producta, 
angulis acutis; elytris modicis, quam caput atque pronotum plus quam sesqui-longioribus, et parum 
latioribus, ante media latissimis, distincte sed non profunde punctatis, superficie glabra, nitida, stria suturali 
distincta, lateribus leviter marginatis, vix rotundatis, apicibus rotundatis, dilutioribus ; abdomine minime 
exserto, nigro; pedibus brevibus, rufis; antennis perbrevibus, robustis, piceis. Long. corp. 1°25 millim. ; 
lat. 0°60 millim. 
Body short, oval, very convex and very shining, almost smooth, with the elytra indistinctly punctured, black. 
Head moderate; eyes moderate, not prominent ; antenne very short, robust, piceous. Thorax moderate, 
widest at the base, smooth, and very shining; sides slightly margined and a little rounded ; basal margin 
not sinuated, broadly produced towards the scutellum, with the angles acute. Scutellum small, triangular, 
elongate, partly exposed. Zlytra moderate, more than one half longer and rather broader than the head 
and thorax, widest before the middle, distinctly but not deeply punctured, with the surface smooth and 
shining; sutural stria distinct ; sides slightly margined, scarcely rounded ; extremities rounded and pale. 
Abdomen very little exposed, black. Legs short, red. Underparts black. 
Hab. Guatemata, Balheu in Vera Paz (Champion). 
Differs from 7. ovatum in its much smaller size, narrower form, more evident sculp- 
ture, and shorter and non-moniliform antenne. 
I have experienced considerable difficulty in determining the species of this family, 
and in distinguishing between species and varieties; I cannot hope to have been 
successful in every case, but trust that what I have done may be of some use in helping 
others to a. more perfect knowledge. In many of the published descriptions which I 
have examined, the distinctive characters are not made sufficiently prominent; this is 
especially the case in the genus Scaphisoma, whose species are both numerous and 
obscure, and it is possible that some of those which I have treated as new will 
eventually prove to have been previously described by other authors. As an instance 
of this, Scaphisoma guatemalense and S. neotropicale appeared to me to resemble 
S. castaneum and S. convexum, Lec., so strongly, that for a long time I felt convinced 
they were synonymous, and it was with much hesitation that I changed my opinion ; 
the comparison of typical specimens can alone settle these points. 
