76 MB. YABBELL ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE SEXUAL OBGAN 



each side produced into a strong and acute angle. In the centre 

 of the pronotum is a deep excavation, with a tuft of luteous setae 

 on each side : the hinder portion has its sides gradually dilated 

 outwards, forming a strong salient tooth or spine on each side, 

 pointing to the outer angle of the shoulder of the elytra ; the 

 space between the point of this spine and the outer posterior 

 angles of the prothorax being emarginate, and furnished with a 

 strong tuft of luteous setae. The elytra are oblong, and with the 

 sides nearly parallel. The disk, and especially the lateral margins, 

 clothed with luteous setae. The podex is oblique, flat, with the 

 outer margin slightly raised, and fringed with long strong reddish 

 curved bristles. The legs are slender ; the tibiae compressed, but 

 not dilated ; the tarsi distinctly 5-jointed, the basal joint being 

 as large as the following. 



The species is named in honour of Andrew Murray, Esq., of 

 Edinburgh, whose knowledge of Coleoptera is evinced by the 

 excellent Catalogue of the Scottish species recently published by 

 him, as well as by his entomological contribution to the fine 

 volume on the " Natural History of Dee Side " by the late 

 Dr. MacGillivray, recently published by command of Her Ma- 

 jesty, and so liberally distributed by the Prince Consort. Two 

 specimens of the species before us were received by Mr. Murray 

 from Old Calabar, and it is to his liberality that I am indebted 

 for one of them. 



On the Influence of the Sexual Organ in Modifying External 

 Character. By "William Yabbell, Esq., V.P.L.S. &c. 



[Bead March 18th, 1856.] 



Haying been requested to supply some notes to the Appendix 

 on the subject of Bed Deer, published in the handsome volume 

 of the "Natural History of Dee Side and Balmoral," of which 

 I have had the honour to receive a presentation-copy from 

 H.B.H. Prince Albert, I regret that my opportunities of obser- 

 vation on the Bed Deer have been so limited ; but as the same 

 physiological laws appear to prevail in the three species of Deer 

 which belong to this country, I beg to offer a few remarks on the 

 influence of the sexual organ in modifying external character ; the 

 horns in Deer furnishing the most obvious external secondary 

 sexual character in this tribe of animals. 



