XXIII 



the first joint, 3"' considerately more slender, but scarcely longer, 

 4"', 5"' and 6''' glabrous, the latter about as long as it is broad at 

 the extremity, the following joints larger and pubescent, the 

 7''' abolit as long as broad, 8"' shorter and narrower than those 

 contiguous to it, 9"', 10'' and 11''' transverse. Head short and 

 broad, punctuation quite obsolète. Thorax strongly transverse, 

 truncate at the base, but very slightly sinuate near the hind 

 angles so that thèse project a little backwards, and would be acute 

 but that they are rounded, the sides curved and narrowed in front, 

 the surface uniformly covered with a very dense and fine almost 

 invisible punctuation. Scutellum small but rather broad, triangular. 

 Elytra punctured like the thorax and in addition with some quite 

 minute sériai punctures, in which are implanted setse so short 

 and minute that they can only be detected l)y a very careful 

 examination. Maie characters very slight, consisting of a dense 

 pubescence on the undersurface of the front and middle tarsi. 



This was sent me by M. de Lacerda as N° L'8, but without any 

 information as to its habits. It is not only of great interest as 

 revealing to us the existence in South America of a fauna of blind 

 Silphidx, analoguus to that found in the mountains and caves of 

 Europe and North America, but also as adding to the small number 

 of forms of Coleoptera having only Ihree joints in the feet : about 

 this latter character there cannot be any doubt as there could not 

 well be a beetle of the size in which the tarsal joints should be 

 easier to count. 



Aglycoptera (nov. gen. Rutelidarum). 



Ex affinitate generis PelidnoLv sed pedibus posterioribus incras- 

 satis, metasternoque posterius gibboso. Sutura clypealis omnino 

 nulla. Tarsi anteriores elongati, articulis quatuor basalibus iatis, 

 2" 8" 4"que transversis, articulo 5" elongato, crasso, unguiculo 

 interno elongato, minus curvato, unguiculo externo gracili, quam 

 interne multo breviore. Pedes posteriores majores, femoribus Iatis, 

 tibiis brevibus, crassis, ad apicem inferne calcaribus duabus brevi- 

 bus crassis; tarsis crassis, elongatis. quam tibiis longioribus, arti- 

 culo 5" dilatato subtus in medio obtuse dentato-emarginato, ungui- 

 culis elongatis propter cràssitiem valde inaeqnalibus, exieriore lato. 



The insect for vi'hich this new genus is established cannot be at 

 présent placed in any of the known gênera of Rutelidx^ though it 

 cornes nearer to Pelidnota (which is itself a heterogeneous genus) 

 than to any other. The division of Pelidnota to which it is most 

 allied, is that formed by P. cyanitarsis Gory. In this latter insect 

 the clypeal suture is distinct, and though the legs are somewhat 

 similar in structure to those of Aglycoytera^ they are not elongate, 



