53 



still more so that the power of the antennae is auditory rather than 

 ollactory. 



"In conclusion," says our author, " from all that has been observed 

 of the antennae, it seems probable that in all insects they are the au- 

 ditory organs, and that the means by which they are fitted for the 

 function of hearing are varied in difierent insects, to adai)t them to 

 the perception of sounds according to the habits of the species : that 

 in some species they are also endowed with the sense of touch." 



XLVII. — Memoir on the Genus Holoptilus. By J. O. Westwood, F.L.S, 



The author enters on a careful investigation of the principal charac- 

 ters of this singular group of Hemipterous insects : he observes that 

 the basal joint of the rostrum occupies two thirds of its entire length, 

 the two apical ones being short. St. Fargeau, Serville and Burmeister 

 describe the second joint as by far the longest. After citing the opin- 

 ions of various authors as to the affinities of Holoptilus, the author 

 thinks it will be the most natural course to regard it as osculant 

 between Reduvius and some of the Cimicidae. The geographical 

 range of Holoptilus is wide, specimens having been received from the 

 Cape of Good Hope, Van Dieman's Land, Java and Nepaul. Mr. 

 Westwood divides the genus into two subgenera: 1st, Holoptilus, in 

 which the antennae appear three-jointed; the second joint very elon- 

 gate, curved and armed with a triple series of bristles, and the third 

 joint very minute, the head truncate posteriorly, the nervures of the 

 membranous portion of the fore wings obscure, the hind wings small 

 and without veins, and the metatibiae armed with a triple row of bris- 

 tles : and 2nd, Ptilocnemus, in which the antennae are four-jointed, 

 the second being elongate and curved, the third and fourth small and 

 the bristles irregular ; the membranous portion of the fore wings has 

 stout nervures, the hind wings are small and have three longitudinal 

 nervures ; the metatibiae are pilose. Holoptilus proper contains Hoi. 

 Ursus of St Fargeau and Serville in the ' Encyclopedic Methodique,' 

 p. 280; and the Holoptilus Ptilocnemus contains 1st, Hoi. PH. fus- 

 cufi, the Ptilocnemus fuscus of Gray, ' Zool. Misc.' p. 34; 2nd, Hoi. 

 PH. Lemur, ' Trans. Ent. Soc,' ii., a new species from Van Dieman's 

 Land of a yellowish colour, clothed with black hairs ; and 3rd, Hoi. 

 Pti. affinls, ' Id.' ii., a second new species from Java of a pale brown 

 colour, and clothed with brown hairs. 



