MERISTHUS— AL^IJS. 269 



America with others from Hong Kong and fail to find the slightest difference between 

 them. Mr. Walker's Chinese specimens were found in dry sandy places, under stones. 

 The head and thorax are densely, moderately finely punctate, the head deeply canali- 

 culate ; the scutellum is finely longitudinally carinate ; the elytra are moderately long, 

 and have rows of coarse punctures separated by narrow interspaces, the latter each 

 with a series of rather small blunt scales, each of which is inserted close to a very 

 minute smooth granular elevation. 



This insect has been collected in plenty by myself in Guatemala ; it varies greatly in 

 size (2J- 3^ millim.) and also in colour. An example from Capetillo is figured. 



3. Meristhus squamiger. (Tab. XL fig. 14.) 



Oblong-ovate, convex, obscure testaceous, ferruginous, or pitcby brown, tbe elytra sometimes witb a patcb at 

 the base and a large rounded spot beyond the middle lighter in colour ; the upper surface somewhat 

 thickly clothed with rather long, coarse, semierect, yellowish scales, which are blunt at the tip and serially 

 arranged on the elytra ; the oral organs, legs, and antennae flavo-testaceous ; the under surface clothed 

 with small appressed yellowish scales. Head closely, rather finely punctate, the vertex deeply canali- 

 culate; antennas short, joint 3 very small, shorter than 2, 4-10 short and moderately serrate, 

 11 obliquely emarginate on the outer side beyond the middle. Prothorax subquadrate, transversely 

 convex; the sides abruptly constricted in front, rounded at the middle, and sinuous and slightly 

 converging behind ; the anterior angles acutely produced in front ; the hind angles obliquely truncate, 

 the outer angle subrectangular ; the disc finely canaliculate, the channel becoming deeper at the base ; 

 the surface very closely, rather finely punctate. Scutellum finely longitudinally carinate. Elytra short, 

 about one-half longer than the prothorax, oval, convex, widest at one-third from the base, with closely-packed 

 rows of coarse deep punctures ; the interstices very narrow, shining, and almost smooth, each bearing a 

 series of coarse, semierect scales, each of which is inserted near a minute smooth granular elevation ; the 

 humeri obtuse. Beneath coarsely, closely punctate ; propleurse with deep oblique grooves for the reception 

 of the anterior tarsi. Tibiae slender at the apex, fringed on the outer edge with piliform scales, which are 

 blunt at the tip. 



Length If— 2^, breadth f-1 millim. 



Hab. Mexico, Teapa in Tabasco (coll. Janson) ; Guatemala, San Geronimo, Capetillo, 

 Duenas, Guatemala city (Champion). — Amazons, Santarem. 



Found in plenty by myself in Guatemala, upon the sandy banks of streams and also 

 on the wing towards evening. Smaller and more convex than M. scobinula ; the upper 

 surface clothed with much coarser scales ; the elytra less elongate, more oval, still more 

 coarsely seriate-punctate, the interstices shining and almost smooth, the scales much 

 fewer in number. An example from Duenas is figured. 



Group ALAINI. 



ALAUS. 



Alaus, Eschscholtz, Thon's Archiv, ii. 1, p. 33 (1829) ; Candle, Monogr. Elat. i. p. 211 ; Revis. 



Elat. p. 117. 

 Calais, Castelnau, in Silb. Rev. Ent. iv. p. 9 (1836) ; Candeze, Monogr. Elat. i. p. 239. 



A genus containing some of the finest known forms of Elateridae. Of the 116 described 

 species, thirteen only are American. The American species chiefly differ from those of 



