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XIII. Olservations on the Dermatoptera, including revisions 

 of several Genera, and descriptions of New Genera 

 and Species. By Malcolm Burr, B.A., F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., F.E.S. 



[Read February 3rd, 1904.] 



The examination of the fine collection of Dermatoptera 

 in the National Museum of Paris has involved tlie descrip- 

 tion of a large number of new species and some new 

 genera ; I have taken the opportunity of revising a few 

 genera that were in need of revision, and of describing a 

 number of new forms in my own and other collections. 



I acknowledge my indebtedness to Sir George Hampson 

 and to Mr. W. F, Kirby for their permission to avail myself 

 of the material in the British Museum, and to describe a 

 few species from that collection. 



REVISION OF THE GENUS DIFLATYS, SERF. 



The examination of a number of specimens of this 

 genus has shown me clearly that several species have 

 hitherto been confounded together, and that the old 

 characters are useless. I have accordingly made a study 

 of the entire genus and drawn up the following synoptical 

 table of the species, based almost entirely on new char- 

 acters. For the discrimination of the species of Diplatys 

 especially, it must be borne in mind that details of colour 

 are worse than useless, and more often misguiding than 

 helpful, though the general system of coloration is 

 valuable, if employed with care. 



Doubtless when a larger collection is brought together, 

 this revision will be superseded, though I have been able 

 to examine the types of nearly all the species, but as the 

 characters which I have adopted, namely, the form of the 

 occiput and of the pronotum, group the species according 

 to their geographical distribution, I hope that the new 

 arrangement will be an improvement upon the old. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1904. — PART IL (jUNE) 



