BY REV. T. BLACKBURX. 641 



u\Mm a method of chai'acterising the form that will render it 

 practically available. The difference of form between one species 

 and another is best observed by looking at the specimen from the 

 side, and when a number of species of this group are examined 

 they are found to present two very different types of outline; the 

 one in which the arch of the upper outline has its summit near 

 the front of the elytra and thence cur^■es away continuously 

 downwards to the apex, the other in which the summit is con- 

 siderably further back. To express this distinction clearly I have 

 called this summit of the curve the point at which the insect is at its 

 " greatest height; " and as it is easier for the eye to determine the 

 middle of a straight line than of a cur^e I have called the middle 

 of the loicer outline (as viewed from the side, whence it appears 

 as a straight line) "the middle of the elytral margin." Thus I 

 have formed two main di^■isions of the Paropses of this group on 

 the position of the " greatest height'' in I'elation to the "middle 

 of the elytral margin;" it being in the one case opposite a point 

 ccmsiderably in yro?v^ of the "middle of the elytra! margin," in 

 the other case opposite a point just about (or a little behind) the 

 middle. It must be noticed that this character is slightly affected 

 hj sex, the " greatest height '"' being usually a little further back 

 in the female than in the male, but this does not invalidate the 

 divisions founded upon, it, as I find that even in the females of 

 the one group the " greatest height " is markedly" nearer the base 

 of the elytra than in the males of the other group, and there are 

 very few species sufficiently intermediate to cause any difficulty. 

 With a little practice and comparison of specimens I think this 

 character wuU be found quite easy to appreciate. This difference of 

 form then I take as the character on which primar}^ divisions of 

 this group of Fai-opsis ahoxiM be based, after first eliminating from 

 the crowd of species a few possessing altogether exceptional 

 characters on the strength of which I treat them as forming a 

 .separate division. These exceptional chai-acters need no explana- 

 tion and will be easily recognised In^ the student; the aggregate 

 that they bring together is entirely artificial, but the convenience 

 of foi*ming it is ob^ ious. 



