PHYSODERA. 251 



NOTE LIV. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW SPECIES OF THE 

 GENUS PHYSODERA (CARABIDAE). 



J. R. H. NEERVOORT van de POLL. 



The genus Physodera has been established already in 

 1829 by Eschscholtz for a species (P. Dejeani Esch.) with 

 very singular inflated sides of the thorax. Twenty years 

 afterwards Major Parry added a second species (P. Esch- 

 scholtzi Parry) to the genus , which entirely wants that 

 peculiarity, however, in all other respects agreeing per- 

 fectly well with the type of the genus. Both species have 

 been originally described from the Philippine-Islands , but 

 Major Parry made already mention that he himself pos- 

 sessed a specimen of P. Eschseholtzi from Ceylon. Subse- 

 quent explorations have shown that they are both very 

 widely distributed. Schmidt Göbel in his Faunula coleopte- 

 rorum Birmaniae" records P. Dejeani Esch. from Tenas- 

 serim and Dr. Hagen sent over to the Leyden Museum , 

 specimens from East-Sumatra (Deli) , together with exam- 

 ples of P. Eschseholtzi Parry , which is also known as an 

 inhabitant of Borneo and Java. Having such a wide range, 

 it is not surprising that these species are subject to cer- 

 tain modifications. The elytral colour is very variable, 

 even specimens from one and the same locality differ within 

 the limits of golden-bronzy to violaceous-purple. The tho- 

 rax of Eschseholtzi I found very inconstant in outline , 

 being considerably larger in some examples than in others , 

 and the elytral sculpture of that species is sometimes very 



Notes from tlie Leyden Museum, Vol. XI. 



