NIGIDIUS. 213 



joints, the club composed of 3 very short, scarcely movable 

 joints, usually very hard and chitinous. Legs not very long, 

 the tarsi without ])ulvillus. Scutelhun small, narrow and 

 acute-angled, somc'times wanting. Cantluis strongly developed, 

 completely dividing the eyes into u})per and lower halves. 

 Mandibles not very long, sometimes short and sim|)le. Maxilla 

 with the inner lobe terminating in both sexes in a strong 

 chitinous hook. Ligula forming two slender divergent lobes ; 

 labial palpi with a long basal joint. 



This group is especially noteworthy for the fact that the 

 two sexes are alike. Although in the genus Nigidnis the 

 mandibles bear antler-like processes above, these are not, as 

 is usual, ])ecidiar to tlie male. 



The short rigid joints of the antennal club peculiarly hard 

 and smooth. 



Key to the Genera of FiGmjiN.a:. 



1 (6) Botly not extremely flat ; mid- 



dle and hind tibiae bearing 

 lateral spine.s. 



2 (3) Sc'UtclIum distinct, triangular; 



mandible with appendage 



above NiGiDius Macl.. p. 213. 



3 (2) Scutellum invisible or reduced 



to anarrowvestige : mandi- 

 ble without appendage. 



4 (5) Front femur not very short 



and broad Figulus Macl., p. 2U». 



5 (4) JVont femur \'ery short and 



broad Cakdanus Westw., p. 226. 



6 ( 1 ) Body extremely flat ; middle 



and hind tibia^ without lat- 

 eral spines Platyfigulus Arrow, p. 227. 



Genus NIGIDIUS. 

 Nigidius Macl, Horse Ent. i, 1819, p. 108. 



Type, Nigidius cornutus Macl. (Malay Pedinsula). 



Range. Africa, Madagascar and the Oriental Eeg.'on. 



Body ratlier clylindrical and parallel-sided, almost naked. 

 Legs not very long, the front tibia with a short terminal fork 

 and short, more or less equidistant, lateral teeth, the middle and 

 hind tibise each with several lateral spines. Tarsi without 

 distinct pulvillus. Antennae short, composed of 10 joints, 

 a moderately long scape, a freely articulated 2nd joint, a very 

 closely articulated 5-jointed funide and a club of 3 very short 

 joints, completely chitinised, smooth and shining externally, 

 the sensory area confined to the terminal portion of each. 

 Head broad, the edges completely divided into u])per and lower 

 halves by the very prominent canthus. Mandibles short, each 

 usually bearing an erect process arising near the base and 



