XXÎI 



membrane, a little prolonged on either side behind the palpus, and 

 not at ail emargiiiate in the middle, on the contrary \evy slightly 

 longer there; the labial palpi are wideij separated at the base, short, 

 and thick, 3-jointed, the basai joint not so long as broad, the second 

 not so wide as the first, but slightly longer, abont as long as broad, 

 terminal joint only about half as broad as the basai joint, cylindric, 

 scarcely twice as long as broad, truncate at the extremity. Proster- 

 num very short, rechiced in front and behind to as great an extent 

 as is compatible with its existence, and forming merely a border 

 to the large anterior coxœ; thèse are separated by only a horny 

 thin plate ; the cotyloid cavities consisting of a dépression of the 

 prosternum are closed behind by a junction of the rather short 

 prothoracic epimera, with the broad prosternum; the coxœ trans- 

 verse but quite prominent and exsected at their inner termination. 

 Middle coxaî very large, transverse, deeply embedded, extending 

 externally nearly to the side of the body ; metasternum short, sepa- 

 rating the middle coxse by a short, not broad process, which con- 

 nects in front with the lower face of the perpendicular mesoster- 

 num; this extends forwards above to form a thin lamina somewhat 

 like what exists in many species of Philydriis; mesosternal side- 

 pieces separating outside the coxaî, the meso- and metasterna. Hind 

 coxse very large, without laminae, extending to the sides of the 

 body; metosternal side-pieces quite invisible. Hind body with five 

 ventral segments separated by very deep sutures, the first as 

 long (at the sides) as the two foUowing together. Elytra soldered 

 together, wings absent Legs rather stout, tibice bicalcarate, tarsi 

 rather stout, on ail the legs and in each sex three-jointed, the 

 middle joint half as long as the basai, the terminal rather longer 

 than the basai. 



The SilpliidiV and their classification hâve been recently studied 

 by D"" Geo. H. Horn, and on glancing at his excellent niemoir on 

 the family (Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1880) it will be seen that the 

 thi-ee jointed tarsi render it necessary to establish systematically a 

 spécial tribe for the réception oï Scotocryptiis which will best stand 

 between the CJiolevini and Anisoto7m7ii, and its afïinities — which 

 are of a gênerai and not a spécial character — are suffîciently 

 expressed by this position. 



Scotocryptus obscurus n. sp. — Nigrescens, subopacus, sub- 

 tilissime omniunique brevissime pubescens, antennis rufis, pedibus 

 piceis ; latus, sat convexus, posterius attenuatus. — Long. 3 3/4 ; 

 lat. 2 \ji mm. 



The upper surface is covered with an excessively minute and fine 

 punctuation; antennœ about as long as tho thorax, somewhat stout, 

 i;^'"' joint longer than broad, nearly as long as the exposed part of 



