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A note on Scotocryptus. 



Bv George H. Horn, M.D. 



The above genus was indicaied by Girard (Ann. Ent. Soc. Fr. 

 1874, p. 574) for a blind Si/p/iide hui v^-as not sufficiently described to 

 enable me to place it with certainty in my tables of genera. Recently 

 Dr. Sharp has received a second species and realizing the difficulty above 

 alluded to deals more fully with the generic characters (Comptes-rendus, 

 Soc. Ent: Belg. Feb. 1885). 



The anterior coxa3 are transverse and moderntel\- prominent and 

 their cavities enclosed by the meeting of the epiniera anti prosternum. 

 By the system suggested by me these characters place the genus in tlie 

 A/n'so/omini us, indicated in my Revision (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1880, p. 

 319) and with the help of Dr Sharp's notes its place seems immediately 

 after Agai-icophagus and before instead of after Liodes . The absence of 

 eyes is otherwise unknown to me in the Anisolomini and it would be in- 

 teresting to know whether the posterior coxae are separated as is often the 

 case in blind insects, although no mention of this is made either by 

 Sharp or Girard and the very poor figure given by the latter seems to in- 

 dicate that they are contiguous. 



The tarsi on all the feet are three-jointed. To this chaiacter Dr. 

 Sharp attributes considerable value and makes it the sole groundwork for 

 the separation of a tribe which he places between the Anisoioniini and 

 ChoUvini. From my own studies this numerical reduction of the several 

 joints is only another step in the direction so plainly indicated in the 

 geneia already known. In order that the idea may lie more readily 

 grasped the genera may be disposed in the following order, the numbers 

 referring to the tarsal joints: 



In a stud}- of the above arrangement it will be seen that Scotocrypt- 

 us follows naturally the course indicated by the genera which precede it. 

 In ortler that the numerical combinations shall be complete several new 



