184 Transactions of the Society. 



Abdomen shield-shaped, vaulted, with a short, truncated, 

 conical projection at the anal end, immediately at each side of 

 which is a rough spine directed backward and inward. Along the 

 margin of each side are seven nearly equidistant curved spines, more 

 than half as long as the abdomen is wide at its greatest width ; a 

 similar one on each side of the anterior margin of the abdomen, and 

 a shorter pair more central on same ; two pairs on notogaster behind 

 last-named pair, and one pair further back and further apart. 

 Under surface bowed, legs set far in, anal plates large and set 

 far forward. 



The nymph appears to be social, and to form a sort of web in 

 the wood. 



51. Leiosoma palmicincta.* Mihi, nov. sp. (PI. III. Fig, 4). 



The adult of this species offers so much resemblance to the 

 Leiosoma niteus of Gervais, that I think it best to commence by 

 pointing out the differences ; these, however, are in such important 

 characters that it would be impossible to treat this species as a 

 variety of nitens, even from the adult, without reference to its 

 remarkable larval and nymphal stages. 



The most remarkable differences in the adult are, first, that the 

 abdomen is much shorter and rounder than in nitens, and is 

 slightly truncated posteriorly ; secondly, the prolonged central point 

 which terminates the tectum nearly reaching the tip of the rostrum, 

 and is eminently characteristic of nitens, is entirely absent in this 

 species ; thirdly, that the stigmatic hairs are very thin where they 

 emerge from the stigmata, and have lanceolate heads, instead 

 of being setiform as in nitens. There are many less important 

 difierences. 



Colour very dark brown ; whole creature polished ; cephalo- 

 thorax brown, short, and obtusely pointed ; tectum broad, and 

 covering about two-thirds of the length of the cephalothorax, almost 

 straight on the anterior margin. Wings of the tectum standing on 

 edge, rather narrow, and marked with a few wavy lines, each wing 

 ending in a short, blunt projection bearing a hair, which extends 

 beyond the rostrum. There are two hairs rather closer together on 

 the lower edge of the rostrum. A ridge, resembling the wing of the 



* Palma, a palm (tree); cinctus, girdlecj. 



