290 ]Mr. D. Snarp's Cuntrihutions to the 



aiul S. catena have the thorax more narrow and cloiif2;ate 

 than in the ]n-eceding species, and appear to afford a con- 

 necting link between Stilicopsis and Sunius. The Sunides 

 horeapliiloiih'S of Motsch. from Cohmibia, Avhich is re- 

 ferred in the Municli Catalogue to the genus LltliocJiaris, 

 appears to be an insect allied to aS'. conjinis. The next 

 two species, S. hidens and iS'. hispinus are possibly allies 

 of the Dlbelonetes hiphu/iatus, Sahl. ; I say " possibly," 

 because no characters arc mentioned by Sahlberg which 

 can be considered to distinguish his genus from Sunius, 

 and I am in great doubt as to which one of several allied 

 forms he intended so to name. The two following species, 

 viz., S. spinifer and S. cclatus, are veiy possibly but sexual 

 forms of one s])ecics ; they are very remarkable from the 

 great develojjmcnt of the two spines of the labrum. 

 S. insignis, the last of the species here described, is very 

 peculiar on account of the abruptly constricted anterior 

 portion of the thorax. From the above remarks it will 

 be inferred that Snnuis and its allies offer a prominent 

 example of that insuperable difficulty in which those 

 occu])ied with descriptive zoology find themselves con- 

 stantly involved ; for while it is clear that the only idea 

 that can be formed of a genus is that of a limited aggre- 

 gate of existing species, and consequently that no genus 

 can be known till all the existing species of it are known, 

 and till whether the characters assigned to it are naturally 

 limited or not is known, — while this, I say, is clear, yet we 

 are obliged to proceed in our actual descriptions on the 

 absurd and " unthinkable " hypothesis that we know the 

 genus before Ave know the species. I do not think 

 naturalists have yet fully recognized this difficulty, but 

 certainly initil they have recognized it and are prepared to 

 deal with it, it will be impossible that zoology can take the 

 place it is entitled to as a most charming and important 

 educational science. The present method of systematic 

 zoology is certainly irreconcileable Avith a system of syn- 

 thetic and inductive science, however well adapted it may 

 have been to a ])eriod Avhen educated minds were under 

 the confusing domination of metaphysical inquiries. 



1. Sunius amicus, n. sp. Nigricans, opacus, dense 

 punctati'>; antennis, palpis, pedibusque fere albidis, elytro- 

 rum apice anguste testaceo ; abdomine subparallelo. Long. 

 Corp. 2^ lin. 



Antennas very pale, not quite so long as head and 



