500 ColeojDterological Notices. 



former the greater part of the subcortical clavicorns, and in the 

 latter a large proportion of those having fungivorous habits. From 

 purely biological considerations therefore this arrangement would 

 seem more natural than the wide dispersal of these perplexing 

 groups of genera now considered necessary. 



III. 



The present opportunity is taken to give the general characters 

 of an interesting addition to the Cucujidae. 



PLrANISMUS n, gen. (Silvaninse). 



Body subparallel, rather depressed, extremely sparsely, inconspicuously 

 pubescent. Head porrect. Eyes at the base near the prothorax, very large, 

 convex and prominent. Epistoma slightly prolonged, transversely truncate 

 at apex ; suture entirely obliterated. Labrum short, transverse. Mandibles 

 very robust but short, flattened, deeply notched at apex, bicarinate at the 

 sides, the interval with a line of short robust setae, the under surface longitu- 

 dinally excavated in arc, the feeble excavation bounded internally by a very 

 fine raised line. Mentum rather large, transverse, with a triangular carina. 

 Labial palpi moderate, the third joint longer and a little thicker than the 

 first two combined, longer than wide, oval, narrowly truncate at apex. Max- 

 illary palpi cylindrical, the fourth joint as long as the first three, slender, 

 much narrower than the second or third, cylindrical and very feebly arcuate. 

 Antennae robust, 11-jointed, with an abrupt loose and parallel 3-jointed club. 

 Pronotum with a short longitudinal carina on each side in basal third or 

 fourth and at lateral fourth. Scutellum short, transversely oval. Elytra 

 with feebly impressed rows of distinct impressed punctures, the scutellar 

 series long. Prosternum distinctly but not widely separating the coxse, the 

 process prolonged slightly and expanded behind them, the apex truncate and 

 resting loosely on the anterior margin of the mesosternum. Anterior coxse 

 small, rounded, deeply inserted, the cavities narrowly closed behind ; inter- 

 mediate larger, rounded, moderately separated ; posterior transverse, rather 

 approximate. Legs rather short and robust ; tibial spurs minute ; tarsi 

 5-jointed throughout, the basal joint much longer than the second, the fourth 

 very small, fifth slender, as long as the three preceding combined ; first three 

 very robust and, on all the tarsi, liaving each a finely spongiose pad beneath ; 

 ungues moderate, slightly dilated internally near the base. Abdomen con- 

 sisting of five nearly equal free segments, the sutures fine and straight. 



This genus belongs near Nausibius, but differs in the more robust 

 and spongiose tarsi, in its much less broadly closed anterior coxal 

 cavities, and very greatly in general appearance. In some respects 

 it seems to be intermediate between the Silvaninaj and Cucujinae, 



