MADEIRAN COLEOPTERA. 143 
magnis,e lentibus paucis convexis compositis: prothorace sub-semi- 
circulari, antice leviter truncato-emarginato (caput ob-triangulare 
vix omnino tegente), basi elytrorum latitudine, angulis posticis 
leviter productis acutis; elytris apice vel rotundatis vel subtrun- 
catis: mesosterno lato: alis (3 a), fere ut in Clypeaster, amplissi- 
mis, ciliatis. Antenne (36) prothorace paulo longiores, 9-arti- 
culate, subgraciles, arcuatve, clavate, articulis 1™° et 2° (illo pre- 
cipue) elongatis robustis, 3"° 4'°que minutis, 5’ majore crassiore, 
6 minuto transverso, reliquis clavam elongatam minus abruptam 
3-articulatam efficientibus (7™° et 8°° ad angulum internum leviter 
productis, 9"° ovato basi truncato). Mandibule (3) incurve, 
acutz, intus emarginate et membrana tenuissima aucte. Maville 
(3 d) bilobee ; lobis elongatis angustis, apice barbatis. Palpt max- 
illares articulo 1™° minuto, 2° maximo inflato pyriformi, 3"° minuto, 
ultimo elongato aciculari extus piloso necnon ad apicem ipsum 
seta elongata armato: labiales (3 e) bi-articulati (?), articulo 1° 
parvo transverso, 2"° maximo subclavato apice barbato. Mentum 
amplum, subquadratum. JLigula antice rotundata integra (?). 
Pedes (3 f ) graciles, postici valde distantes : tzbiis ecalcaratis ; an- 
ticis plus minus curvatis, ad apicem internum incurvo-productis : 
tarsis (ut mihi videtur) 4-articulatis, articulis 1™° et 2°° longiori- 
bus subsequalibus inter se arcte connatis, 3"° minutissimo, ultimo 
elongato clavato wnguiculis simplicibus munito. 
But few generic diagnoses having as yet appeared of Orthoperus 
(=Pithophilus, Heer, and Microsphera, Redt.), I have subjoined, so 
far as I have been able to do so, a description of its structural de- 
tails,—believing that any correct information on the characters of 
these minute groups of the Corylophide should be recorded, as tend- 
ing to throw some additional light on the difficult question of their 
affinities. For the opportunity of examining its oral organs I am 
entirely indebted to Mr. Westwood, whose admirable dissections 
(which I have since mounted in Canada Balsam for the microscope) 
of the O. atomarius, from Madeira, have afforded me a satisfactory 
view of most of the parts; and having likewise, myself, prepared 
the antenne and legs of a typical example of the same species com- 
municated by Professor Heer of Zurich, as also of the O. brunnipes 
of our own country, Ihave been enabled to compare the correspond- 
ing limbs of several individuals, and of two distinct exponents of the 
genus. The result at which Mr. Westwood arrived with respect to 
the tarsi was, that they were pentamerous ; and as such they were 
pronounced by Heer, when describing the same species (atomarius) as 
that from which Mr. Westwood’s conclusion was drawn: but I must 
confess that I have not been able myself to distinguish more than 
four joints to their feet. It is however admitted by Mr. Westwood 
that the minute basal articulation on which the presence of more 
