Doctrine of Affinity and Analogy. 971. 



sus, (Sec. the fore-breast (antepectus), or the part immediately 

 under the thorax, is more or less covered with impressed puncta* 

 In the Harpalida and Catascopus it is quite free from them. In 

 the former tribe likewise the legs, especially the thighs, are 

 slenderer and less robust than in the latter. The head moreover 

 in these is narrower behind, so as to form a distinct neck ; whereas 

 in those, if any thing, it is widest behind, and the neck is formed 

 by the convexity of that part and not by any constriction of it. 

 From all these circumstances, I think, it is sufficiently evident 

 that the relation of Catascopus to the Harpalida is that of affinity, 

 while that which it bears to the Elaphrida, insects which at first 

 sight it most resembles, is merely that of analogy. But there is 

 still another tribe of which it exhibits many characters, I mean 

 those which constitute M. Latreille's first section of his Carabici, 

 which have the head and thorax much narrower than the abdo- 

 men, and truncated or very obtuse elytra ; for instance, Anthia, 

 Brachiniis, Lebia, &c. ; and with these at one time I felt inclined 

 to arrange the genus I am considering ; but the different charac- 

 ters of the Labium convinced me that it ought rather to go with 

 the HarpalidcE. Should any master in Entomology hereafter 

 undertake a new arrangement of Carabus L., he may perhaps 

 bring the Harpalida and the above section nearer to each other; 

 and in this case Catascopus would very well connect the two 

 tribes. The exact place of the genus I have not been able satis- 

 factorily to ascertain. Of all the known genera of the Harpa- 

 lida it seems to approach nearest to Pterostichus Bon., or Spho- 

 drus Clairv., principally on account of the shape of the thorax ; 

 but there must be several intermediate links between them. 



VOL. XIV* o Hardwickiii 



