1007.] 165 



table is used, and the species require to be known individually ; and 

 in preparing this for publication I have become painfully conscious 

 that there is a great deal more work to be done in the genus than I 

 have time to accomplish. Notwithstanding the late Mr. Rye's well- 

 known dictum*, a microscope, with a 1" objective at least, is an 

 almost indispensable adjunct in naming these insects correctly, and 

 a Zeiss binocuhi!', with its stereoscopic effect, is likely to be found 

 even better. 



Some of the characters here given will at first sight appear 

 difficult to a reader, but with the insects before them most of the 

 characters will be readily a[)preciated. I have been able to procure 

 Continental specimens of such of the species included as are not 

 otherwise represented in my collection, except fuscicornis, which is 

 very rare on the Continent, and doubtfully l^ritish. My obligations 

 to Herr Ganglbauer are obvious ; without his magnificent work this 

 l)aper would not have been attem])ted ; and I may say the same of 

 Canon Fowler's " Coleoptera of the British Isles," though my table 

 differs from that given by him I am also much indebted to Herr 

 Jieilter's second edition of the European catalogue — a splendid work. 



The genus Micramhe has often been treated as |)art of the genus 

 Cryptopharjus (see Cox, Handbook Brit. Col., vol. i, p. 468), so it may 

 be useful to give the distinctions here ; they are : — 



1 — Penullimate tarsal joints slighter but Imrilly shorter than the preceding ; pos- 

 terior tarsi of the (? , 4-jointed Crtptophagus. 



2 — Penultimate tarsal joints much smaller than the preceding JtiCRAMBB. 



TABLE OF THE SPECIES OF CRYPTOPHAGUS. 



I — Elytra with the j)iibescenee entirely decumbent, without longer outstanding hairs, 

 i — Eyes with tolerably fine facets. Antennae stouter, the 7tb joint not or hardly 

 longer than broad. 

 1 — The thickened pai-t of the anterior angles of the thorax (callosities) occu- 

 pying a fourth or fifth of the sides. 

 A— The lateral tooth of the thorax in or near Ihe middle of the side. 



a — Antennae with a two-joinf ed club .pubescens, Sturm. 



J) — Antennte with a three-jointed club. 



a* — Elytra closely but not strongly punctured, puncturation almost the 



same at apes as at base validus, Ki-aatz. 



h* — Elytra becoming much more finely punctured at apex. 



* " But when the collector finds that he needs a compound microscope to separate species, 

 it is the firm opinion of the present writer that that collector had better take to some other 

 pursuit than stvidying Cultoplera." — E. C. Rye in "Science Gossip," 1873, p. 14y. 



