174 (August, 



subcircular or ovate as in Echthrus. Mr. Marshall's "areola supero- 

 niedia " is the "area basalis " of Thomson's Opusc. Ent., the postero- 

 media being the hitter's areola, beyond which is the slightly reflexed 

 transverse carina. The gastrocoeli are very small but distinctly oblique 

 There is a distinct transverse constriction at the base of the tibial 

 intumescence in both sexes, and the intermediate femora of the female 

 are canaliculate above and below. The spiracles of the first segment, 

 as 1 understand them, are within the lateral projections, which iu the 

 type and my own examples are placed just before the middle, but are 

 more conspicuous in the male. Mr. Marshall appears to have been 

 mislead by a fossette situated on either side in the disco-lateral border 

 behind the middle ; under the microscope these truly appear to contain 

 spiracles, but, having met with no analogous formation and no trace 

 of such a depression occurring in my examples, I am led to regard 

 them as accidental in the type specimen. 



There can, 1 think, be no doubt that this species is correctly 

 ascribed to Nyjceopliilus. Ashmead, whose generic character regarding 

 the metathoracic costa? should be omitted, followed by Mr. Marshall, 

 has placed this genus among the Pimplinte. To me this appears a 

 less natural position than among the CRYPTiNiE, for in all the typical 

 genera of the former group, e.g., Xorides, Xylonomus, Ischnoceros, &c, 

 the mesosternum is entire, with no external sulcus. Iu Nyxeophilus 

 and Echthrus, however, this sulcus, especially in the case of the former, 

 is very deep and determinate, with, be it noted, an exactly pentagonal 

 areolet. 



We have therefore to choose which of two sets of characters is 

 the more important : Nyjceopliilus has the head tumidulous, quadrate; 

 the labrum free (as indeed it is to a great extent in many Cryptids, 

 e. g., C. obscurus, Or.) ; the notauli deep ; mesonotum not sloping an- 

 teriorly and centrally depressed ; metanotum subexareolated, with but 

 an apical costa ; the first abdominal segment is not conspicuously 

 dilated centrally (much less so than in Ischnoceros) : and, above all, 

 its spiracles are placed slightly before the middle — all which points 

 relate it with the Xoridini. On the other hand, the elongate and (at 

 apex) gradually attenuated antenna?, which bear in both sexes a broad 

 pale band, consisting of six joints, placed not distinctly beyond the 

 centre ; subpetiolate abdomen (especiall}' in $) ; the intumescence of 

 the front tibia?, which very remarkably resembles that of Echthrus 

 lancifer, Gr., and is approached by H yr/rocry ptus carnifecc, Gr., and 

 signatorius, Fab. (having the spiracles of the first segment placed iu 



