BY T. G. SLOANE. 407 



to this character in 1902, 1 was led to describe as a species, under 

 the name of N. howitti, what was merely a specimen of JV. macoyi. 

 — Intercoxal declivity : though this is a very important character 

 in Notonomus, the shape being constant in every species, it loses 

 its value in the eques- and kingi-gvoups; and I can see that too 

 high a value was given to the difference between the rounded 

 and flat forms of the intercoxal declivity of the prosternum in my 

 Table of species in 1902. 



Tarsi. — The upper surface longitudinally striate occurs only 

 in the cupricolor- and eques-groups; it is evidently a character of 

 high taxonomic importance. The comparative length of the first 

 joint of the posterior tarsi is a character of importance. The first 

 joint of the four posterior tarsi is furnished, on the outer side, 

 with a longitudinal costa. (This costa is feebly developed in the 

 chalybeus-group, and is obsolete in the mediosulcatus-group). The 

 external costa of the four posterior tarsi may be spinulose beneath, 

 or not. These spinules may be called the upper spinules of the 

 outer side* I look upon the presence of these upper spinules as 

 an ancient character. When found on the hind tarsi, they are 

 always present on the middle tarsi; in some species (e.g., N. 

 violaceus) they are present, or not, on the hind tarsi, but, in such 

 cases, are always found on the middle tarsi. These upper spinules 

 are a great aid in helping to determine the affinities of many 

 species. — Onychium : it is evidently the primitive form for the 

 fifth joint of the tarsi to be setulose beneath: these setules 

 (though usually absent in the species of Notonomus) have per- 

 sisted in species not at all nearly related. 



iSetiferous pores of apex of abdomen. — Usually there are, in the 

 male two, in the female four setiferous punctures at the apex of 

 the abdomen; but throughout the eques-gvoup, and in J\ r . parallelo- 

 morphus, there are six in the female; the outer seta on each 

 side is placed as is usual in the genus, the two inner ones near 



* I have noticed in the genus Eudromus, from Madagascar, which is 

 evidently an ancient form in the tribe Trigonotomini, that there are two, 

 distinct, continuous rows of spinules on the outer side of the first joint of 

 the hind tarsi. There is no costa, but the upper row of spinules is simi- 

 larly placed to the upper spinules in Notonomus. 



