200 XYNOPHRON. 



amoug the Clioerididae , but the shortness of the apical 

 spur of the posterior tibiae as well as that of the tarsi, 

 the first joint of which has hardly the length of the next, 

 do not allow this. The posterior tibiae are dilated 

 towards the apex and have a very elongated triangular 

 shape. This characteristic suffices to place it among the 

 Copridae and excludes any closer relation with the Ateu- 

 chidae, although the head and the posterior tarsi, very 

 similar, for instance, to those of Canthon, seem to furnish argu- 

 ments in favour of this view. The presence of a single 

 spur at the posterior tibiae and the considerable distance 

 between the intermediate coxae place the insect among 

 the true Copridae, excluding it from the Aphodidae. The 

 completely transverse and deep position of the anterior coxae 

 place it without contest amongst the Scatonomidae. But 

 it has a position quite by itself in this group, because of 

 the extreme shortness of the apical spur of the posterior 

 tibiae. 



Taking everything into consideration it seems to be close 

 to Pedaria that this new genus will have to be placed. 

 With this it has in common : the dimensions of the sternal 

 parts , especially the width of the metasternum , the con- 

 figuration of the anterior coxae , the coalescens of the ab- 

 dominal segments in the median axis , and finally the short- 

 ness of the posterior metatarsus, which in certain Pedaria 

 as f. i. nigra J does not surpass the next joint in length. 

 The essential difference always remains the fact that in 

 Pedaria the apical spur of the posterior tibiae is strongly 

 developed. 



Close to the present genus the genus Aulonocnemis Klug 

 must be placed. This is another generic subdivision of 

 which the exact place in the system has remained doubtful 

 to the present day. The examination of King's type spe- 

 cimens in the Berlin Museum has convinced me that the 

 genus is in no way related to the Aphodidae , having only 

 a single apical spur at the posterior tibiae , whereas the 

 intermediate coxae widely separated, assign to it its natural 



Note» froin the Leyden Miuseum, A^ol. II. 



