Clnssification of the Coleopterous familij Dynastidm. 341 



and species were first described by Burmeister, who quoted 

 the genus as Foda/gus, Dej., and oadded to it a number of 

 American insects of which he afterwards transferred most 

 to a new genus, Ligyrus. In 1859 Reiche, regarding 

 Burmeister's first species, Podalgus honariensis, as the 

 type of the genus, renamed the African one Vertumnus 

 cunicid'us, employing, however, a generic name already 

 preoccupied. Lacordaire had previously confined Fodal- 

 gns to cimiadus alone and observed that Burmeister's 

 F. honcmensis and F. obesns belonged to a new genus. 

 The latter about the same time became the type of 

 Leconte's genus Ai^honns. I consider that F. mmimlus, 

 Burm., should undoubtedly be taken as the type of Podcd- 

 gus, which is a very distinct genus peculiar to the desert 

 tracts of Northern Africa and Western Asia. I have seen 

 examples from the Punjab, Bokhara, both shores of the 

 Red Sea, Abyssinia and Northern Nigeria, and there is 

 a remarkable degree of similarity of form and sculp- 

 ture in all. The Bokhara form has been named Orator 

 infantulus by Semenow, but Fairmaire has pointed out 

 that this generic name also is redundant. 



Fodalgus honariensis, Burm., is not congeneric with 

 Aplionvs ohesus, Burm., as Lacordaire believed, and 

 although not transferred to Ligyrus by Burmeister him- 

 self on account of the absence of a stridulating patch on 

 the elytron, I have found no other reason for its exclusion. 

 Its general form and features are those of Ligyrus and 

 the margins of the elytra are closely studded beneath 

 with minute tubercles which no doubt correspond to the 

 stridulating file of typical species. 



Three species treated by Burmeister as a section, of 

 Dyscinetus {D. rostratvs, Burm., Zoilns. Oliv., and nasuttos, 

 Burm.) have a stridulating patch beneath each elytron 

 exactly like Ligyrvs, and the form of the head and thorax 

 also show a greater degree of relationsliip to that genus 

 than to DyscinetiLS. They really form. a quite distinct 

 genus, which is characterised as follows : — 



OxYLiGYRUS, n. gen. 

 Form cylindrical. Head acuminate in front, with the tip sharp 

 and reflexed, and the frontal suture marked by a carina interrupted 

 in the middle. INIandibles not toothed externally, with the apices 

 straight and slightly prominent. Prothorax more or less impressed 

 and tuberculate behind the front margin. The inner surfac^e of th? 



