M. H. Jekel — Tentamenta Entomologica. 267 



present the same analogies*. The Catalogues of European Coleo- 

 ptera would then arrange the species of this group as follows : — 



Balan. rillosus, Fabr, 



cerasorum, Ilerbst. 



ruhidus, Sch. 



§ II. {Balanohhcs, Jekel.) 

 The second large subdivision or Stirps II. (Spurii) of Schonherr 

 should, according to the present ideas on generic characters, from the 

 numerous and intrinsic differences it exhibits, be raised to the rank 

 of a separate genus ; and I wonder at its having been overlooked by 

 Mr. C. Gr. Thomson t, whose acuteness has supplied us with many- 

 new generic names in this and other families. This gentleman, in 

 the RhynchopTiori, has made use of several new characters, some of 

 which, although deemed by him as primordial, should rather have 

 been used as secondary, as they very often, even in his limited 

 fauna, break palpable natural affinities, and consequently could not 

 be rigorously applied to a general classification. 



This extensive subdivision of Balaninus may be distinguished as 

 foUows : — 



Antennae crassiusculse : articulis funiculi 4-7 latitudine baud longi- 

 oribus ; clava crassa, breviter ovata. SciiteUum pro ratione minus, 

 prsesertim breviua. Pygidium breve subtransversum, ab elytris con- 

 junctim ad sutm-am panun emarginatis partim tectum. Unguiculi 

 tarsorum angusti, basi non incrassati. — Obs. Corpus magis convexum, 

 plerunique minoris magnitudinis. 

 Besides a few European, it contains a great number of exotic 

 species, most of which are South African, and only a few North 

 American ; the exclusion of Pistor, Germ., rightly transferred by 

 Schonherr to Centrinus, is, as regards its generic form, but one more 

 instance of the necessity of reuniting aU those Mecorhynchi having 

 the pygidium partly or entirely exposed and more or less perpen- 

 dicular. Regardless of the presence or absence of a tooth at the 

 thighs (Manip. i. & ii. Sch. — a character of quite secondary value), 

 it presents several natural tj^es, of which two only occur in Europe : 

 viz. — 



Sect. I. Containing : Crux, Fabr. 



Ochreatus, Sch. 



Var. Rufosignatus, Fairm. 



* It is a fact that, by according the presence or absence of a tooth on the 

 femora a primordial rank in the subdivisions of extensive genera, one very fre- 

 quently destroys the natural affinities of species. 



t Skandinaviens Coleoptera, Limd, 1859. 



