456 



Mr. Westwood oil some new Species o/'Athyreus, 



ence may be placed on M, Lacordaire's short statement. It is proper 

 however not to overlook the evident resemblance which exists between the 

 structure of the maxillee and mentum, &c. of Athyreus and that of several 

 genera amongst the aberrant Trogidae, of which I have published an ample 

 analysis in the fourth volume of the ' Transactions of the Entomological 

 Society ;' in fact, so strong does this relation appear to me, that I have but 

 little doubt that ultimately it will be found that the true relation of Athyreus 

 is towards these aberrant Trogidae. 



A few words are necessary with reference to those external characters in 

 these insects which are to be considered as indicating the distinction of sex, 

 and which, as in many of the Lamellicorn beetles, consist in tubercular or 

 horny processes of the prothorax and head in the males, which are either 

 obliterated or but very slightly developed in the opposite sex. It is to be 

 regretteil however that we possess very few positive indications in this mat- 

 ter, and even here we find such a want of uniformity in the characters assigned 

 to the distinction of sex in a few of the lai:ger species, and such an apparent 

 want of external sexual distinctions in some of the smaller species, that we 

 are not yet able to speak with confidence on the subject, which is rendered 

 still more difficult by the great rarity of the larger species. 



In some of the larger species the head of the male is elongated in front, 

 the occiput terminating conically in a more or less elevated horn, the point 

 of which extends over the labrum, and sometimes even reaches to a short 

 distance in front of the head. The underside of this horn or tubercle is 

 strictly formed of the clypeus. In the species which Dr. Klug has figured as 

 Ath. bl/urcatus, the conical clypeus reaches to the front of the labrum, termi- 

 nating in a slightly-raised tubercle; the mandibles are very large and broad, 

 extending beyond this point. The front of the prothorax is very retuse, and 

 is furnished with two somewhat triangular tubercular processes of moderate 

 size. The female of this species (which Dr. Burmeister has sent to Mr. Hope 

 under the name of Ath. furckoUis) has the head quite differently formed ; 

 the occiput terminates in a transverse raised suture just in front of the inser- 

 tion of the antennae, having its lateral angles and middle elevated into three 

 small conical tubercles ; beyond this appears the quadrate clypeus, the short 

 labrum, and the smaller mandibles. (It is to be regretted that Dr. Klug has 



