The Genera and Species of the Amycteridce, 

 By William MacLeay, Jim., Esq., M.L.A. 



[Eead 7th August, 1865.] 



There is no group of Australian Insects more natural or 

 pei'liaps more numerous than that to which M. Th. Lacordaire 

 has given the name of Amy cter ides.* There is at the same time 

 no group in which there is a larger number of unclescribed 

 species, or in which the species which are described are in a 

 more confused state. These circumstances, combined perhaps 

 with the interest which I have always felt in this well marked 

 and strictly Australian group, have induced me to make it the 

 subject of the present paper. 



I am aware that in undertaking the task of describing 

 and re-arranging this lai'ge sub-family, I labour under the 

 disadvantage of being unable to refer to, and in some cases 

 to identify, the many species described by Schonherrf and 

 BoisduvalJ, a disadvantage difficult to overcome in the case of 

 the last named author, as most of his descriptions are utterly- 

 useless for the identification of species. 



On the other hand, I may lay claim to advantages superior 

 to those of any other person, in the possession of the magnificent 

 collection of the late W. Sharp MacLeay, Esq., which contains 

 nearly 200 species allied to Amyeterus. 



The Amycteridce may be shortly described as a sub-family of 

 Curculionidce, with a six-jointed funiculus to the antennte, with 

 a very short and thick rostrum, with a large mouth, and with a 

 body rough, hard, and apterous. To Mr. Waterhouso is due the 

 credit of having first noticed the affinity of the various genera 

 now combined to form this sub-family. 



He states in a note to a Paper entitled " N'otes on the species 

 of Amyeterus and allied genera, with descriptions of new species." 



* Gen. Coleopt., vol. VI., p. — . t Gen. et spec. Curcul, vol. VII. 



X Voy. do rAstrolobe II. 



P 



