1879.] 1S3 



ahsinthium in the winter and spring, and reared a fine series from 

 June 29th to July 27th. This larva and its habits have been so well 

 described by Mr. Buckler (E. M. M., vol. ix, p. 143), that I need only 

 remark the satisfactory fact that the destructive Ichneumon, mentioned 

 by him, seems here to be either very scarce or totally absent. 



Pembroke : October 8th, 1878. 



ON EUDROMUS, FAMILY CARABID^. 

 BT H. W. BATES, F.L.S. 



The genus JEiidromns of Klug, the most remarkable development 

 of the Pterostichus or Feronia type of Garabidcs known at present, 

 has been treated by recent systematists with unmerited depreciation. 

 To cite the two chief instances : Lacordaire, in his " Genera," sinks it 

 in the general crowd of synonyms, under the genus 'Feronia, without 

 a word of comment ; and Harold and Gremminger make it a synonym 

 of the Australian gi'oup Homalosoma, increasing the indignity by 

 giving " Nov. Holland," as the locality of its two described species. 

 In this way, has been buried out of sight the important biological fact 

 that Madagascar has developed, in addition to its many other remark- 

 able animal forms, a special group of the world-wide Feronia, carrying 

 the type to the highest degree of perfection as regards size, and grace 

 of form and sculpture. 



The chief authority on this family. Baron Chaudoir, has, as far as I 

 can gather, only once had occasion to allude to the genus. This is in his 

 description of the allied Australian group Somalosoma, in the Bull. 

 Moseou, 1865, iii, p. 61, where he points out the remarkable character 

 of the short, broad, and rounded scutellum, as distinguishing Fudromus 

 from Somalosoma. Klug, in founding the genus (Wiegmann's Archiv, 

 1835, i, p. 384), gives a detailed generic diagnosis. But neither of 

 these authors makes mention of the length and slenderness of the 

 legs and antennae, which amply distinguish the Madagascar group, not 

 only from Somalosoma, but from all other genera of Pterostichince, 

 and even from the Sphodrince, with which Baron Chaudoir is inclined to 

 perceive some near affinity, when speaking of Somalosoma. Taking then 

 the characters derived from the scutellum (latissimum, breve, postice 

 rotundatum), the antennse (graciles, thoracis basin longe superantes), 

 and the legs (elongati, pr?ecipue tarsis gracilibus, posticis articulo primo 

 valde elongate), added to the length and slenderness of the palpi, the 

 last joint of which is compressed, and more or less dilated towards the 

 apex, and the striated mandibles, — Fudromus may be taken as a per- 



