224 Zoological Society, 



A Paper was read, entitled, " Characters and Descriptions of a 

 new Genus of the Family Melolonthidce : by John Curtis, Esq., 

 F.L.S., &c." 



In a collection of Insects recently received by the author from 

 Lima is contained a beautiful series of the one constituting the type 

 of his proposed new genus 



Ancistrosoma. 



Antenna capite breviores. 



Clypeus, in mare praesertim, emarginatus. 



Thorax acute marginatus, hexagonus ; dente brevi in baseos medio 

 armatus. 



Pedes longissimi, robusti. 



The stoutness of its legs and the sharp lateral edges of its thorax 

 distinguish Ancistrosoma from all the neighbouring genera: the male 

 is further characterized by an acute, rather long, and slightly curved 

 spine near the base of the abdomen beneath. Its natural situation is pro- 

 bably between Diphucephala, Dej., the males of which have abilobed 

 clypeus, and Macrodactylus, Latr., which is very similar to it in habit, 

 and has also very long legs ; but these in Macrodactylus are slender, 

 while in Ancistrosoma they are robust. Neither Diphucephala nor 

 Macrodactylus possesses the little tooth at the base of the thorax lap- 

 ping over the scutellum, a structure which is, however, met with in 

 Ceraspis as well as in Ancistrosoma ; but in Ceraspis, independently 

 of the other differential characters, the antennae and club are long. 



Ancistrosoma Klugii. Anc. ferrugineum, supra piceo-nigrum ; 

 thoracis margine elytrorumque strigis sex albidis. 



Long, maris 12 lin. ; fceminse plerumque minor. 



Hab. in Mimosce floribus apud Huanuco prope Lima, Peruviae. 



Of the three streaks on each of the elytra, the sutural one does not 

 reach so far as the base, the second extends neither to the base nor 

 to the tip, and the outer one is still shorter : they consist of broad 

 punctured furrows, white with short hairs. 



The cocoon of the pupa is ovate, hard, and in texture somewhat 

 like that of Trichiosoma Lucorum, Leach; its operculum is semiorbi- 

 cular, with a broad hinge and narrow rim : the shell of the pupa is 

 similar to that of other Melolonthidce. 



Mr. Curtis describes in great detail the several parts of this In- 

 sect, and illustrates them by an extensive series of drawings, which 

 were exhibited ; as were also specimens of the Insect itself. 



Mr. Curtis also communicated a Paper " On a species of Moth 

 found inhabiting the Galls of a Plant, near Monte Video." The galls 

 in question were collected by Mr. Earle (who accompanied Captain 

 Fitzroy in H. M. S. Beagle,) in the month of December, about fif- 

 teen miles westward of the town, on a sort of underwood shrub, 

 which Mr. David Don, on the examination of the small branches, 

 and of a single leaf, thinks may probably be a species of Celastrus, 

 Of the figures in illustration of the paper exhibited to the Meeting, 

 one represents a branch supporting two of the galls, which are some- 

 times clustered five or six together. They arise where the attach- 

 ment of leaves or flowers is indicated, and are therefore most proba- 



