ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION. XXXI 



Journal of tlie Linnean Society of London, Parts 72 — 79. From 

 the Society. 



Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, vol. iii. 

 Parts 2 — 4. From the Society. 



Annales de la Societe Entomologique de Belgique, Tom. 22, No. 2. 

 From the Society. 



Observations sur le Musee Entomologique de I'Universite Iraperiale 

 de Moscow, par V. de Motschoulsky. From Dr. J. L. LeConte. 



December 8, 1879. 

 Director Dr. LeConte in the chair. 



Dr. LeConte called attention to a small coleopter lately described 

 by Dr. Sharp (Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1879, p. 88), as Propalticus 

 ociilatus, obtained from the higher mountains of the Hawaiian Islands. 

 Specimens having been sent by Dr. Sharp for examination, they were 

 placed in Dr. Horn's hands for such preparation as they might need, 

 for careful study. The general aspect of the insect is not unlike some 

 of- our Lifargns, and the number of tarsal joints and their structure 

 also similar. The anterior tibia has an unusually large spur which 

 Dr. Sharp supposed had something to do with the saltatorial power of 

 the insect. During the examination and comparison it was noticed 

 that Litargus has a spur somewhat resembling that of Fropalticiis 

 but of less size. The general structure of the insect indicates that 

 Dr. Sharp was correct in referring it to the Mycetophagidae, and the 

 widely separated coxae and other characters suffice to separate it from 

 the other genera at present known. 



Dr. Horn in continuation spoke of the form of the tibial spur 

 which seemed to be flat or chisel-shaped, the tip forming a sudden 

 point by the truncation of each angle. This spur may assist in the 

 saltatorial attempts of the insect but the posterior femora seemed 

 sufficiently dilated to produce at least moderate leaps, being fully as 

 much dilated as in some of our smaller Halticini. The views ex- 

 pressed by Dr. LeConte were concurred in. 



Dr. Horn by illustration exhibited a deformity in the last joint 

 of the left anterior tarsus of Cremastochllus saucius, in which that 

 member seemed to be composed of three separate joints closely united 

 in a conical mass, each portion indicated by its bearing a pair of 

 normal claws, except that one of the pairs was closely united and 

 only separated a short distance at tip. The tendency of detbrmities 

 to exist by triplication was alluded to. Dr. Horn hoped to have the 



