341 ) 



XVI. Contributions to a knowledge of Oriental Ehyncliota. 

 Part. I. Fain. Pentatomida?. By W. L. Distant. 



[Read September 7th, 1887.] 



Plate XII. 



Mr. E. T. Atkinson, now of Calcutta, has recently 

 published a list of all the described species of Indian 

 Homoptera, and is preparing to extend his labours to 

 the Heteroptera. He submitted a number of species to 

 me for determination, several of which I found to be 

 nondescript, and therefore necessary to be described. 

 I also recognised in my own collection many undescribed 

 species from the Oriental Begion, which had accumulated 

 during the last few years, whilst my attention had been 

 engrossed by another order of insects. It thus becomes 

 necessary to make these species known, in order that 

 Mr. Atkinson's list shall be as complete as possible, the 

 object of that list being to assist, or rather to promote, 

 the study of the Ehynchota in India. I am myself a 

 great believer in the efficacy of such catalogues, and 

 particularly when they are worked out with the appre- 

 ciative care of Mr. Atkinson. 



All descriptive papers — so naturally condemned by 

 purely theoretical entomologists, and certainly the dry- 

 as-dust appearance of such papers is sufficient to disgust 

 the uninitiated — are, or should be, capable of not only 

 increasing our knowledge of the multiplicity and 

 diversity of genera and species, but should also contain 

 the material which assists the study of geographical 

 distribution. It may therefore be permissible to analyse 

 the contents of this paper. 



The Plataspince are an obscure and still imperfectly 

 worked-out group. One species of Coptosoma is here 

 described from Sikkim, and Mr. Atkinson has submitted 

 to me another new species which he has either lately or 

 will almost immediately describe himself. This genus 

 is not only a somewhat difficult one to study, but the 



trans, ent. soc. lond. 1887. — tart hi. (sept.) 



