2 74 COLEOPTERA 



anterior open part is placed on the under-surface, and the head can be 

 completely doubled in and concealed, all the parts of the head except 

 the prominent irophi when doubled in fit the front opening, and to 

 accommodate the trophi, there is a deep depression in the middle of 

 the prosternum, which extends as far as the coxte. T\it flanks (or side- 

 pieces) of the thorax are rather largely developed, and their limits and 

 sutures quite distinct ; the prosternum is divided as above described by 

 a very deep fossa or depression in the middle, the piece on each side of 

 this depressed middle part is rather large ; the front coxcr are moderately 

 distant from one another, being separated by a depressed prosternal 

 process, the form of the coxoe themselves I cannot see, but their inner 

 terminations are distinctly exserted. The niesosterniun is exposed 

 between the middle coxte, and is emarginate in front, so as to receive 

 the prosternal process, and (probably) render the prothorax almost 

 immovable. The middle coxal cavities are moderately large, irregu- 

 larly oval, with the slender part outwards, and the embedded coxae have 

 a small trochantin visible. The nietatlwrax is moderately long, its 

 episterna are large and almost parallel-sided ; the epimei^a are minute 

 and triangular, and can be seen at the extremities of the coxa and epis- 

 ternum. The hind coxce are nearly contiguous in the middle, and have 

 a very short but broad upper lamina, which is, however, distinctly broader 

 at its inner portion over the trochanteral articulation ; there is a perpen- 

 dicular lamina to which the femur and tibia can be closely applied when 

 flexed, so as to be concealed. There are five rather large ventral 

 segments, the basal one of which sends off a narrow process between the 

 coxal laminai. The tarsi are all five-jointed, the first and second joints 

 are rather small, the third is very small, but bears a large membraneous 

 lobe extending forwards on the under-face of the foot, the fourth joint 

 is very small, and might, without a careful examination, be supposed to 

 be absent ; the fifth joint is, without the claws, as long as the other four 

 together, the c/aius are large and simple. 



This extraordinary insect is one of the most interesting of the 

 Coleoptera; it is undoubtedly allied to Chelonarium, though at first sight it 

 has more the aspect of an Eiicneniid ; it departs very widely from Cliclo- 

 nariiim by the structure of the antennse, which are similar to those of 

 Cerophyti/m e/ateroides, except that the basal joint is much smaller. I 

 see no other relationship except to Chelonarium and Ccrophytum, and in 

 my opinion it goes far to settle the position of the latter most remark- 

 able insect, for Cerophytum is just intermediate between ^;7?/////<r and the 

 Elateridce and Eucnemida. To force any of these interesting insects 

 into the ordinary families of Coleoptera is to refuse to recognize them for 

 what they really are — isolated anomalies, whose relationships, even 

 inter se, are highly problematical. 



480. B. thoracica, n.s. Sharp ; Entom. Men. Mag., August, 

 1878, /. 49. Oldongo-ovalis, nigra, elytris purpureo-nigris, sat dense 

 pubescens, minus nitida, tarsis fusco-testaceis ; thorace lateribus et parte 

 anteriore deflexis et dense punctatis, disco insequali minus punctato, 

 margine basali crenato ; elytris crebre sat fortiter punctatis, versus sutu- 

 ram obsolete sulcatis. 



