BV THOMAS G. SLOANE. 705 



Xote on the striation of the elytra. — Among tlie Bipartiti the 

 species with striated elytra have seven strite and a lateral furrow; 

 while in the Carabidie generally the normal number of striae is 

 eight and a lateral furrow. In the Bipartiti the lateral channel 

 is wide, and it is evident that the usual eighth stria and ninth 

 interstice are lost in it. This is a character of the highest im- 

 portance, which I believe to be peculiar to the Bipartiti. 



Phylogeny (luith special vpference to the Australian Pasimachides). 



There seem sufficient reasons {e.g., form of buccal fissure, inter- 

 mediate tibiie, concavities of lower side of peduncle) for placing 

 the subtribe Scaritides between the tribe Clivinini and the sub- 

 tribe Pasimachides; but, whether each of these latter groups 

 represents a departure in a different direction from a central 

 Scaritid stock, or whether the line of descent is rather Clivina- 

 Scarites-Pasimachus^ is a question on which the insufficiency of 

 my knowledge of many varied component parts of the Bipartiti 

 prevents an opinion being offered here. 



In regard, however, to the Australian Pasimachides, there seem 

 to be grounds for supposing them to be descended from a Scaritid 

 ancestral form. The following evidence is offered in support of 

 this hypothesis: — (1) The point of contact between the sub- 

 mentum and the paragentie is indicated by a line, more or less 

 distinct, which shows the division of these parts (as in the Scari- 

 tides) to be more primitive than the unified form. (2) The Aus- 

 tralian Pasimachides are all apterous, and it seems certain that 

 in the Carabidse such apterous forms must have had winged 

 ancestors (winged forms are common among the Scaritini). I 

 cannot imagine it possible for the descendants of an apterous 

 beetle with connate elytra to var}'' in the direction of acquiring 

 wings. It is evident that the submentum and paragense had 

 become contiguous, arid the wings had been lost before the origin 

 of any of the present Australian Pasimachides. 



I believe that the primitive form from which the Carenums 

 are derived had the elytra punctate-striate. This is shown by 



