214 Mr. Arthur M. Lea's Revision of the 



can be no harm in referring species to it which can be 

 readily separated from the majority of Carphiiri. The 

 main distinguishing feature of Helcogaster, as I regard it, 

 is the large excavations which are usually present in the 

 heads of the males (although in some of the species of 

 Carphurus the head is also largely excavated) ; the species 

 are also flatter, and usually with the elytra very indis- 

 tinctly or not at all punctured, and the antennae are also 

 considerably longer. 



The male can always be distinguished by the basal joint 

 of its front tarsi having a black, or at least very dark, 

 inner rim ; this joint also is usually strongly rounded on 

 the inner side. The excavations of the head are often very 

 large, being both wide and deep, the posterior outlines of 

 the excavations are usually trisinuate. On the front 

 portion of the head there is often a large tubercle, this is 

 often concave with more or less acute lateral ridges, and it 

 is sometimes itself tuberculate ; in a number of species it 

 is present on the males even when the excavations are 

 absent. The head when seen from behind or from the 

 sides has often a very characteristic appearance and I have 

 usually described these appearances as I believe them to 

 be useful aids to the identification of most of the species ; 

 in looking at the head from behind the tubercles especially 

 show up in a very distinctive way. 



The clothing usually consists of long sparse hairs and in 

 describing the species I have not considei-ed it necessary 

 to mention it. Some of the specimens examined were 

 quite glabrous, but I have not even mentioned this as I 

 think it quite likel}^ that this was due in some cases to 

 abrasion, as the hair appears to be but loosely fixed to the 

 derm. 



I previously described one species {carinatice2:)s) from a 

 female only, and although this female is remarkably dis- 

 tinct I regret having done so, as I now think that no 

 species of the genus should be described without knowing 

 the male. The sculpture of the head is often so dissimilar, 

 that without certain knowledge (such as by the examina- 

 tion of specimens taken in coj^.), it is often quite impossible 

 to mate the sexes ; and the females of many species are so 

 closely allied as to render their separation into species very 

 difficult, even with the specimens before me ; whilst from 

 descriptions alone I believe it to be impossihh ; neverthe- 

 less the males, even although closely resembling each other 



