45 



PAPERS READ. 



STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGY. 



No. v.— NOTES ON THE SUBFAMILY BROSCINI (CARABID.i-:), 

 WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. 



By Thomas G. Sloane. 



In a former paper (P.L.S.N.S.W., 1890 (2), v. p. 189) I 

 divided the Australian Broscini into two main divisions, viz. : — 



i. With temporal ridge very indistinct. 



ii. With temporal ridge distinct. 



Further consideration and study of the subfamily induces me 

 to think this grouping misleading. To arrange the genera of any 

 subfamily into natural groups one requires a knowledge of at 

 least all the important genera constituting such subfamily found 

 in all parts of the world. I have only a knowledge of the 

 Australian genera. These genera have very different values from 

 a classificatory point of view, a circumstance which occurs in all 

 branches of Entomology ; this is a difficulty in the way of drawing 

 up tables of genera, especially partial ones, because the genera 

 must theoretically be considered as of equal value, though 

 practically they may not be so. Taking the Australian Broscini, 

 we find three distinct types, represented by the genera Promeco- 

 (lerus, Eurylychnus, and Percosoma respectively. The genera of 

 the first group, or type, have been arranged by me (I.e. p. 190) in 

 a table that may be taken as useful as far as it goes. These 

 genera, with Eurylychnus, are differentiated from the others by 

 the presence of a setigerous puncture in the scrobe of the 

 mandibles. The Percosoma group (Percosoma, Lychnus and 



