XXI 



acquis un exemplaire de cette espèce, indiqué également comme 

 venant de Célèbes. Il ne peut donc plus y avoir de doute sur sa 

 provenance. 



DESCRIPTIONS 



OF TWO NEW COLEÛPTERA SENT BY M. DE LACERDA FROI BAHIA 

 I> y O. S h n r p. 



G. ScoTocRYPTUS Girard O. 



Tarsi omnes triarticulati. 



This character of only three jointed tarsi séparâtes this genus 

 from ail the other known Silp}iid.v, but the combination of other 

 characters it présents rcquires its structure to be given in fui! dé- 

 tail, and this I am fortiinately able to do with some approach to 

 completeness. 



The insect is rather larger than the largest Agathidium and in 

 faciès is intermediate between that genus and Bathyscia, having 

 perhaps more the appearance of a broad Colon than of anj other 

 beetle I know. The head when retracted is vertical in direction and 

 is closely embraced by the prothorax after the raanner oï Bathyscia 

 and Catops, it is broad and short, has no eyes, and the antennœ are 

 inserted under the sides of the front as in Agatliidiv.m; théy are 

 11-jointed, and thickened externally from the 7"' joint to the 11"" 

 except that the 8''' is smaller than those contiguous to it. The 

 labrum is small, but nqv^' exposed, strongly transverse, being vei'y 

 short, feeblj' emarginate in the middie, and is attached to the clypeus 

 by a minute transverse membrane. The maxilla has two elongate 

 lobes, each finely pub^scent at the extremity, the inner is as long 

 as the outer and quite membranous; the maxillary palpus is short 

 and stout, and apparently three jointed; the basai joint is however 

 présent though extremely minute, so that this palpus is truly four 

 jointed; the second joint is short and stout, but little longer than 

 broad; the third is slightly more slender, twice as long as broad, 

 cylindric; the terminai joint is small, almost cylindric being trun- 

 cate at the apex, not so broad as the third joint, and only half its 

 length. The ligula appears as an excessively délicate, very broad 



(') When tins description was written I was under the impression that this was 

 an uncharacterised genus, but I hâve since discovered in the Ann. Fr. 1874, p. 514 

 that M. Girard has given a description oi' it based on a species l'ound in nests 

 oi Mellip >na scutfl'ans at Bahia M Gerard's i^pi'cies Scotocri/p(us mrlhpon<T is 

 however 1 think quite distinct l'rom my S. obs'urus. M Girard describes the 

 maxillary palpi as certainly only three-jointed : but the Iburth joint in my 

 micro--copical préparation is présent in the form of a very small basai joint, 

 almost concealed in the body of the maxilla. 



