20 Mr. D. Sharp's descriptions of some new species 



striction at the front part. P. Blaclihnrni is readily dis- 

 tinguishable by the very long and conspicuous slender 

 setse, by its more coarsely-scnl])tured surface, which is 

 nearly free from scales, and by its feebler tarsi. It is the 

 species which departs least widely from Aghjcyderes. 

 P. debilis is quite distinct by the last three joints of the 

 antennae being less developed than in the other species. 

 The remaining three species are not so easy to distinguish 

 by strongly-marked characters ; though I have seen only 

 one or two individuals of each, I expect that P. oscillans 

 will be distinguished by its shorter elytra, the humeral 

 angles of which are not in the least acute or well marked. 

 P. obscurus and P. simplex are much more similar, but 

 the latter seems to have the ajjical joints of the antennjB 

 more developed. As, however, I have only seen the 

 female of the one and the male of the other of these two 

 species, their more certain distinction must be left for 

 future observation. 



I now come to the more important question of the 

 structural characters of these little insects ; these prove to 

 be very remarkable, and have necessitated the creation of 

 a new collective name for the species. They are, briefly, 

 as follows : — 



Antennas ll-jointcd, not geniculate, the 1st and 2nd 

 joints thicker than the following ones, the 10th and 11th 

 elongate, and separate, slightly broader than the preceding 

 ones. Head narrow, in the female slightly prolonged in 

 front, in the male furnished with a shining beak, which is 

 about as long as the head, and considerably narroAver than 

 it, without gular sutures ; antenna inserted at the sides, 

 close to the eyes, in an ill-defined groove. Eyes small, 

 but very prominent, coarsely facetted ; parts of the mouth 

 minute, and not visible externally, being concealed beneath 

 by a horny plate, which fills up the little cavity at the 

 apex of the beak. Anterior coxre minute, globose, en- 

 tirely embedded in the thorax at a distance from the hind 

 margin, and widely separated from one another ; prothorax 

 without visible sutures, except that there are traces of a 

 transverse one between the front cox^. Middle coxa3 

 minute, globose and deeply embedded, widely separated ; 

 sutures between the pieces of the mesothorax and meta- 

 thorax not visible. Metasternum very short ; hind cox^e 

 small, oval, deeply embedded, very widely separated. 

 Hind body with five ventral segments, the 1st elongate, 

 2nd, 3rd and 4th subequal, rather short, separated by deep 



