1897.] of the Coleoptera of South Africa. 85 



joined by a transverse sulcus with a large, cruciform, median fovea, 

 base bifoveate on each side ; elytra subquadrate, somewhat convex, 

 shoulders high, slightly oblique and obtusely carinate, rounded 

 laterally, trifoveate at base, sutural stria entire, dorsal one short ; 

 first dorsal segment of abdomen nearly twice as long as the following 

 one, and very briefly unicarinate at base ; legs strong, femora 

 thickened, tibiae slightly incurved ; metasternum impressed and 

 sulcate ; head broadly excavate in a subquadrate form, the margin 

 of the excavation sharply tul:»erculate close to the median part of the 

 mouth ; intermediate trochanters thickened at apex, last ventral 

 segment impressed transversely. Male. Length 3-20 mm. 



This description is made from Aube's original type, formerly in 

 Eeiche's collection and now in mine. Aube mentioned (Ann. Soc. 

 Ent. France, 1844, p. 82) another example belonging to Schaum's 

 collection, but no other has been recorded from that time. 



This extremely rare insect was discovered at the Cape by Drege, 

 but the exact locality is unknown, and I am not aware that it has 

 been met with again. 



Gen. AETHMIUS, Le Conte, 



Bost. Journ., vi., p. 91. 



Kaffr., Eev. Entom., 1894, p. 231. 



Sub-Gen. SYEBATUS, Eeitt., 



Verh. Naturf. Ver. Brlinn., xx., p. 205. 



Eaffr., Eev. Entom., 1894, p. 231. 



Body suboblong, rather convex ; head quadrate or transverse ; 

 eyes placed behind the median part ; last joint of palpi ovate, 

 acuminate ; antenna much separated ; prothorax cordate, sulcate 

 longitudinally on the sides, median sulcus always wanting, and the 

 transverse one placed before the base ; elytra quadrato-elongate and 

 without shoulders in the female and with more or less prominent ones 

 in the male, dorsal stria wanting ; abdomen with a rather abrupt 

 declivity behind, broad, marginless, first dorsal segment very large. 



This sub-genus differs only from Arthmius by having two longi- 

 tudinal sulci on the sides of the prothorax, whereas there are no sulci 

 in Artlimius ; this difference is really not important. 



Artkmius, as well as Syrbatus, was formerly considered as 

 belonging to the genus Batrisus, to which it is indeed very closely 

 allied, but the old genus Batrisus has now become so large and 

 consists of so many heterogeneous elements that it has become 

 necessary to divide it into several distinct genera, from among which 

 Artlwiius is one of the best characterized. It differs from Batrisiis 



