BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 599 



metrically scattered on the two sides; except under a powerful 

 lens, it appears to be almost glabrous." The form of the eye, if 

 constant, would certainly be a good character, but this is not the 

 case (see notes under " other variations "). There does not appear 

 to be anything special about the prothorax, as it is described as 

 " rather narrow, rounded at the sides, contracted at the base, 

 which is very little broader than the apex, irregularly tuberculate 

 above"; these remarks would apply to many specimens in my 

 possession. Pascoe himself admits that his specimen was worn, 

 and I certainly think it unjustifiable to define a new species in a 

 difl&cult genus from a battered unique specimen. 



C. ciCATRicosus. — -Pascoe appears to think that the specimens 

 he described were worthy of specific rank principally on account 

 of — " Elytra . . . between the posthumeral and median 

 spines with a large raised glabrous bifid scar-like mark." This is 

 an occasional variation that one might expect in almost any 

 insect with elytra striate aiid subtuberculate like the species of 

 Catasarcus. I have observed its occurrence in specimens of 

 Sclerorrhinus, Guhicorrhi/nchus, Eurliynchus, Poropterus, Myth- 

 ites, Oxi/ops, Haplonyx, Lepiops^ Pri/pnus, Aferpus, &g. In 

 some species of Tenehrionidra it is of frequent occurrence. 



C. scoRDALis and C ericius. — -The characters given in the 

 tabulation for these supposed species show on what slight grounds 

 some entomologists can erect a species. I can find nothing in 

 Pascoe's descriptions and remarks needing comment 



Section i. 



In this section there certainly are -a number of good species, 

 but the strongest feature of all — the thickness of the exo- 

 skeleton — has been entirely overlooked by Mr. Pascoe. In 

 some species it is extremely hard and it is only with great 

 difficulty that a strong pin can be forced through; in other 

 species, specimens may be readily impaled with the finest pin. 

 As Pascoe, however, probably- received his specimens pinned, 

 this oversight is excusable. I think that the number of his 



