12 Mr. A. Murray's Monograph of the genus Catops. 



Genus Catops. i^^ .%4ii»^oh 'jw^Va; 



Mentum square, transverse, a little narrowed in front. Ligula 

 of the breadth of the mentum at its base, widened and deeply 

 emarginate in front. The interiial lobe of the maxilldB terminated 

 by a corneous nail or hook. The maxillary palpi decidedly larger 

 than the labial; their third article formed like a reversed cone, the 

 fourth much more slender, conic and acuminated. The third article 

 of the labial palpi oval, a little longer than the second. Man- 

 dibles short, furnished with a molar tooth at their base, arched, 

 sharp at the end and unidentate before their summit. Labrum 

 short, rounded, and a little sinuated in the middle in front. 

 Head declining, obtuse in front. Eyes nearly rounded, moderate 

 in size and not prominent. Antennre at least of the length of 

 the thorax ; their first six articles of variable length, subcylindric, 

 the last five forming a club, which is sometimes so elongated and 

 slender as to be scarcely observable, and sometimes very distinct ; 

 the eighth joint shorter than the seventh and ninth. Prothorax 

 of variable form. Elytra oblong or oval, arched above. Legs 

 long and slender, the first four joints (and more especially the 

 first two) of the anterior tarsi, and sometimes the first joint of 

 the intermediate tarsi, dilated in the males and provided with 

 brushes of hair below. Mesosternum sometimes keeled. Body 

 oblong or oval, clothed with a very fine silky pubescence*. 



The first division which I shall adopt is the same as Erichson's, 

 and I preserve Latreille^s name Choleva for it as a subgenus; 

 but I shall drop the dilatation of the anterior tarsi and the first 

 joint of the middle tarsi in the males as a character. 



It is a detraction from any character that it requires an exa- 

 mination of both male and female to recognize it; and although 

 the character is perfectly true in this group, it cannot be used in 

 contrast to the subsequent divisions which I am going to pro- 

 pose, as in them exceptions to such a rule occur. I think the 

 following short characters sufficient. 



Group I. (Subgenus Choleva.) 



Mesosternum not keeled ; body oblong ; antennce almost filiform ; 

 legs long and thin, posterior trochanters more or less developed in 

 the males. 



1. C. angustatus, Fab. 



Cistela angustata, Fab. Syst. El. ii. 20. 23. 

 agilis. Fab. Syst. El. ii. 20. 27. 



— 1 ■ 



* This description of the characters of the genus is copied with some 

 modifications from that given by Prof. Lacordaire in his admirable work 

 the * Genera des Coleopteres.*' 



