214 LUCAI^ID^. 



curving inwards at the end. Imier lobe of the maxilla with 

 a strong chitinous hook at the end in both sexes ; the outer 

 lobe broad, rounded, bearing a long close marginal fringe of 

 stiff hairs ; maxillary palpus fairly long, the terminal joint 

 about as long as the preceding two together. Mentum 

 transverse, bilobed ; ligula divided into two strongly diverging 

 slender lobes, with long fringes at the anterior edge ; labial 

 paljDUS with 1st and 3rd joints long, the 1st very slender, the 

 2nd short. Pronotum more or less rectangular and parallel- 

 sided, Avithout lateral angulation, finely margined at the sides 

 and base. Scutellum distinct, narrow, acute at the apex. 

 Elj-tra parallel- sided, convex, striate or broadly sulcate with 

 narrow intervals Prosternum little elevated behind the front 

 coxse. 



The two sexes are alike in this genus. 



With very few exceptions all the species are recognizable 

 by the remarkable appendage arising near the base of each 

 mandible. 



Key to the Species of Nigidius (male and female). 



1 (10) Pronotum with a broad, strongly 



punctured front margin. 



2 (9) Body rather long and narrow. 



3 (6) Sides of the head straight or 



concave. 



4 (5) Lateral angles of the head sharp distinctus Farry, p. 214. 



5 (4) Lateralanglesof the head blunt birmanicus Boil., p. 2\ 5. 



6 (3) Sides of the head rounded. 



7 (8) Base of the mandibles with a 



posterior lobe himalayx Grvl., p. 216. 



8 (7) Base of the mandibles without 



posterior lobe elongaius Boil., p. 217. 



1) (2) Body very short and broad ... dauiix Grxl., p. 217. 

 10 (1) Pronotum with a narrow, shining 



front margin impressicoUis Boil., p. 218. 



120. Nigidius distinctus. (Plate XXII, fig. 11.) 



Nigidius distinctus Parry,* Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1873, p. 341, 



pi. 5, fig. 7. 

 Nigidivs andamanus Kriesche, Arch. f. Nat. Ixxxvi, A, pt. 8, 1921 



(1920), p. 105. 



Black and shining above and beneath, the body convex, 

 cylindrical and moderately elongate. The head is broad, 

 uneven, coarsely, closely and unequal^ punctured, with a wide 

 smooth area between the eyes, the region behind the eyes 

 rather finely and evenly punctured. The lateral margin of the 

 head is concave and produced in front and behind into a rather 

 blunt angle. The mandi])ular process is simple, rather narrow, 

 strongly curved and not lobed at the base. The prowtum is 

 tr.odt^rately broad and has a rather well-defijied, broad, 



