BY THOMAS G. SLOANE. 193 



in spirits, and I did not notice the elytra when freshly collected ; 

 still, I think it probable that in no species of Fromecoderus are the 

 striae of the elytra naturally punctate ; though possibly they may 

 be, in one or two cases, finely crenulate. As I have had no 

 opportunity of collecting and experimenting with specimens of 

 Promecoderus since making this discovery, I am unable to give 

 such proofs as I should have liked of this action of spirits (which 

 seems to be unknown to practical collectors) ; but I hope at some 

 future time to describe exactly the results of a lengthened 

 immersion in spirits, both in the Broscini and the Scaritini. 



The following table shows the species of Promecoderus arranged 

 in natural groups, as far as I have been able to do so with the 

 material at my command. Owing to my having seen only 

 the 9 of some species, while many others I have not seen at 

 all; T am unable to define the groups into which the species 

 naturally fall as thoroughly as I should have liked ; yet the table, 

 incomplete though it be, will be of use to the student, and I hope 

 the detailed descriptions will prove sufficiently full to enable the 

 different species to be distinguished from one another. The 

 names in italics are those of species that I have not seen. 

 I. Anterior and middle tarsi of ^ with several of the joints 

 spongiose below. 



A. Labrum with a median sulcus, tooth of mentum very short 



and broad, or even obsolete; ventral segments in ^ with 

 transverse rows of piliferous punctures, the last segment 

 with two punctures on each side of the anus in both 

 sexes. 



P. hrunnicornis, Dej. P. ovicollis, Casteln. 



P degener, Guer. *P, tasmanicus, Casteln. 



B. Labrum without a median sulcus, tooth of mentum tri- 



angular, ventral segments in ^ without rows of pili- 



* I am doubtful as to the position of this species which has (vide Putzeys, 

 Ann. Mus. Civ. Genov. vol. IV., 1873, p. 323) but one puncture on each 

 side of the anus is the $, and the ventral segments are without piliferous 

 punctures. It is unknown to me, but the sulcus of the labrum would seem 

 to separate it fi'om all the continental species of Promecoderus. 

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