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A note on Scotocryptus. 

 By George H. Horn, M.D. 



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

 1874, p. 574) for a blind Silphide but was 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 coxa- are transverse and moderately prominent and 

 their cavities enclosed by the meeting (if the epimera and prosternum. 

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

 Anisotomini as indicated in my Revision (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1880, p. 

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

 alter Agaruophagus and before instead of after LioJcs. The absence of 

 eves is otherwise unknown to me in the Anisotomini 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 Anisotomini 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 be more readily 

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

 referring to the tarsal joints: 



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

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

 In order that the numerical combinations shall be complete several new 



