78 



mentiiin with the head-surface so that a short gidar peduncle 

 exits. This is a g'reat peculiarity in the Otiorhynchidae, where 

 it is the rule that the maxillae are quite or nearly covered hy 

 the nientum, this point of structure being in fact that on which 

 Laeordaire founded his Legion Adelognathi, so that the condi- 

 tion we find in Bhyncogonus woidd suggest its removal from 

 the Otiorhynchidae, and tluit it should find a ]dace in th-.^ 

 Phanerogiiathi, among the host of forms of which legion there 

 is so far as I know nothing at all allied to Bhyncogonus. 



The Phanerogiuithous condition of the mouth is most com^ 

 jdetely displayed hy Rliyncogoniis l-oehelei, but it exists in ^U 

 the other species of Rliyncogonus \ have been able to seo. 

 though to a less conspicuous extent. 



Some of the Celeuthetides have the month not completely 

 Adelogiiathus (e. g. Elytrurus), and it is probably to these 

 that Bhyncogouits is nearest, l)ut the Celeuthetides have also the 

 corbels more or less modified whereas they are quite simple in 

 the Hawaiian genus. The Celeuthetides are specially charac- 

 teristic of the Polynesian area, and wo shall n<^t be far wrong 

 I believe if we consider that Rhyncogonus is a CVleuthetid 

 form, with more simple (or primitive) conditions of the month 

 and tibiae. 



XOTES ox SC):\IE SrECIES AXD THE MAT.E CHARACTERS. 



The material for an exhaustive study of Rliyitrogojius is 

 at present far too small for any attempt at a revision — much 

 less a monograph — of the genus, but I hope the following notes 

 based on some specimens from the collections of Dr. Perkins 

 and ^[r. Giffard may prove useful. 



Rhyncogonus blackburni Sharp. 



This species as it stands at present is very variable, and 

 it is possible that there may be more than one standing under 

 ih( name. I have examined to a slight extent the male geni- 

 talia of a few specimens, and I find differences among them, 

 but so slight that importance cannot be attached to them nnless 



