Coleopterological Notices. » 93 



PHALACRIJS Payk. 



The general characters distinguishing this genus from the others 

 are fully laid down in systematic works, and are stated in a less 

 extended form in the preceding table. 



The species do not appear to be very numerous, and among the 

 sixty-seven specimens before me, I am unable to distinguish more 

 than eight, which is considerably less than the eighteen described 

 by Tournier (L'Ent. Gen. 1889, pp. 7-10), as belonging to the 

 European fauna. The species are more closely allied and indefinite 

 than in any other genus of the family. I have not noticed any 

 distinct sexual modification in the male ; the middle of the anterior 

 mai'giu of the epistoma is, however, in some forms broadly arcuate 

 and coarctate with the sides and in others more or less truncate, 

 and these differences are said by both Tournier and Flach to be 

 sexual in origin. I have not attempted to verify this, and have 

 simply mentioned the form of the apical margin when noticed 

 during description. 



The punctures of the head mentioned by Tournier, are present in 

 all our species, but I have not been able to employ them in separat- 

 ing or characterizing the species, as they appear to vary in relative 

 position in different individuals. These little fovea to the number 

 of four, are situated along the inner margin of the eye, and there is 

 also another near the anterior margin of the epistoma, and remote 

 from the eye ; they are not setigerous as far as can be observed with 

 the highest working powers. 



The sculpture of the elytra is moderately constant, but the im- 

 pressed lines lying parallel to and near, but not including the series 

 of punctures, are more or less variable in distinctness, and do not 

 seem to form a specific character of very great importance. 



On each elytron in some if not all the species there are certain 

 short stiff and erect set«, which do not appear to have been previ- 

 ously noticed, and which in simplex are disposed as follows : — 



A row of very closely-placed excessively minute setse along the 

 under surface of the acute lateral edge, projecting downward. 



A row of more distant, longer and coarser sets, very close to the 

 minute bead forming the lateral edge, or just within its outer limit. 



Finally, on the disk of each elytron, five rows of excessively 

 minute stiff setae which are extremely widely spaced, and more 

 evident toward apex. The fifth row from the suture contains six 



