100 Transactions SontJi African Fhilosophical Socictij. [vol. xii. 



cephalic and thoracic horns of Copris ; certain species are also 

 characterised by having spines beneath the anterior tibiae, but this 

 character does not occur in all kinds, and I have had to rely on the 

 shape of the horny sheath of the penis of the male to differentiate 

 the species. In spite of the great likeness in general facies of nearh" 

 all the species, this distinctive character holds remarkably good. 



The female is very much like the male ; in the first South African 

 group in which the intermediate tibite have a basal spine and the 

 posterior femora a projecting trochanter, the shape of the tibiie is 

 the same, but the spine of the femora is wanting, the trochanter 

 does not project much, and the posterior tibia; are much less 

 incurved at apex ; this last character, although not quite so con- 

 spicuous, is the only distinctive one in those species in which the 

 intermediate tibiae and the hind femora are simple and the trochanters, 

 not projecting (S. appcndiculatus, goryi, yiianniscus). 



The number of species recorded from South Africa is eighteen, 

 eight of which have been figured ; but although adding two species 

 I reduce the number to nine, the range of which in South Africa is 

 very great, extending for some species from Cape Town to the 

 Zambesi. Gory, in his 'Monographic du genre Sisyphe,' figures 

 six species ; but in spite of the plates, it is nearly impossible to 

 ascertain the identity of all of them, some of which are probabl}- 

 the two sexes of one, or the small development of the same. One, 

 >S'. spinipes, has most extraordinarily shaped legs, and althoiigh the 

 habitat is alleged to be the Cape of Good Hope, I have not yet met 

 with this singular species. This author's meagre description does 

 not bear out the details given in the figures. This remark holds 

 good especially for »S'. rngosus, in which the intermediate leg has a 

 small spine on the iipper side of the femur ; the legs of -S'. muricatiis 

 are also not properly figured. 



Klug has described three species and figured two of them ; but 

 except for one species, I believe the others to be identical with 

 other kinds already described. The identity of .S'. cnsfatus, Thunberg, 

 and .S'. harharossa, Wiedem., can only be guessed. 



Boheman has described five species, the types or co-types of which 

 I have seen, but only two species are valid. 



Kcji to the Species. 



A-. Anterior tibitc of male spinose beneath. 

 B-. Three spines beneath. 



Intermediate tibiae with a very distinct sharp inner spine 

 near the knee ; trochanter of posterior legs very long, curved, 

 transparent, blunt at tip, no spine on hind femora . . . . riihriiJcs. 



