a Family of Coleopterous Insects. 683 



POSTSCRIPT. 



Since the preceding sheets were printed, Mr. Melley of Man- 

 chester, the possessor of a very fine collection of exotic Coleo- 

 ptera, has liberally submitted to my examination a remarkable 

 new species of this family ; and I am happy in being enabled 

 to add the following description of it, although 1 regret that, in 

 consequence of the Plate having been completed, I cannot add a 

 figure of it, and the more especially, since the insect in question 

 is one of the most extraordinary in the family. From the forma- 

 tion of the antennaj and palpi it is clearly referrible to my new 

 genus Platyrhopalus, and in the former of those organs most 

 nearly resembles PL IcBvifrons; but in the extraordinary breadth 

 of its elytra (which considerably exceed, in proportion to its size, 

 even those of the Cerapterus Horsfieldii), and in its very broad 

 and flat retractile legs, it evidently approaches Cerapterus. 

 Mr. Melley informs me that a description and figure of it will 

 shortly appear in M. Guerin's Magazin de Zoologie. I am not, 

 however, aware of the specific name which he is about to pro- 

 pose for it, and am consequently restricted from introducing it 

 in the ordinary manner with a nomen triviale, unless indeed its 

 liberal possessor will allow me the honour of applying to it the 



name of 



Platyrhopalus Melleii, Westzv. 



PI. piceus, elytris castaneis, latissimis, fer^ quadratis, anten- 

 narum clava lat^ compress^ margine fer^ circulari basi 

 extern^ angulum efFormante, pedibus latissimis. 



Habitat in Malabaria. 



In Mus. Melley. 



Long, Corp. (antennis exclusis) lin. 4^, lat. elytr. lin. 2^. 



Species nova et valdfe insignis. Latissimus, subconvexus, rufo- 

 piceus, tenuissim^ punctatus, nitidus, subhirsutus, thorace 

 capiteque declivibus. Caput parvum, parilm nitidum, an- 



ticfe 



