672 Transactions South African Philosophical Society, [vol. xii. 



maxillary palpi dilated in the inner side, where it is fusiform, and 

 curving slightly inwards on the outer part ; clj^Deus a little shorter 

 than the head, attenuate laterally towards the tip which is truncate, 

 and with the angles sharp or reflexed ; prothorax attenuate laterally 

 in fi'ont, hase marginate, somewhat arcuate, hasal angles sharp ; 

 scutellum triangular, moderately long, or long ; elytra hroader than 

 the prothorax, attenuate from the base towards the posterior part, 

 strongly sinuate laterally, and having a strongly developed callus 

 on the humeral part, somewhat plane and having on each side 

 three or four shallow longitudinal depressions filled occasionally 

 with white or flavescent scales ; pygidium triangular, vertical or 

 inclined forwards in the male ; anterior tibiae with a very short 

 inner spur which is, however, obliterated in some species, quadri- 

 dentate or tri-dentate outwardly, the teeth sometimes connate, inner 

 claw of the four anterior tarsi twice as long as the outer, and both of 

 them cleft ; posterior femora and tibiae greatly developed, especially 

 in the male ; apex of posterior tibiae dilated, semicircular outwardly, 

 hollowed and stiffly bristly all round, apical spur of the male strong 

 and often displaced or produced into a spine or tooth ; posterior tarsi 

 partly or entirely fused and with the fifth joint always longer than 

 the first four put together, claw simple, very long, equal in length to 

 the apical joint ; abdomen very compressed laterally ; metasternum 

 very Inroad ; trochanters of posterior legs strongly developed and 

 occasionally spinose. 



The genus can be divided into two groups. 



In the first, the posterior legs of the male, especially tlie femora, 

 are very strongly dilated or ampliated, and the joints of the hind 

 tarsi are more or less distinctly fused, sometimes even reduced to a 

 single one (P. calcaratiis)."' The habitat seems to be restricted to the 

 South-Western and Western districts of the Cape Colony, where 

 rains occur periodically in winter. 



In the second, the elytra are more depressed, the posterior tibiae 

 in the male are a little thickened, but not inflated, the joints of 

 the hind tarsi are normal, and the apical joint of the maxillary palpi is 

 cylindrical and curves outwardly from the l)ase to the median part. 



Some species of this second group occur in the Eastern Provinces 

 of the Cape Colony. 



Key to the Species. 



A'. Posterior tibiae of males very much ampliated ; joints of tarsi 

 short, fused. 



B-. Anterior tibiae quadri-dentate outwardly. 



• In plate xlii., figures 1 to 22 inclusive are those of the outer face of the hind 

 leg ; all the others represent the inner face. 



