Ixviii PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



two insects which had been placed in his hands for examination 

 by Mr. Spence. These insects were sent to Mr. Spence by Dr. 

 Davy, from the island of Barbados, where, according to the 

 gentleman last mentioned, they do considerable mischief, — the 

 one (to which the name of Tricorynus Zece is here applied) attack- 

 ing the grain of the common maize ; the other {Crrjptorhijnchus 

 Batntce) attacking the tubers of the sweet potatoe. The small, 

 white, hairy larva of the former insect lives in the grain of the 

 maize, precisely similar to a Bruchus larva, a habit in which the 

 Tricorynus Zece differs much from its allies, the species of Dor- 

 catoma and Anohium. 



Genus Tricorynus. 



Antennae ten-jointed j basal joint large (as long as the six fol- 

 lowing joints taken together), and dilated at the apex ; second 

 joint short, obconic ; third, and four following joints, small, and 

 nearly cylindrical; the third is about equal in length and breadth, 

 the others transverse ; three terminal joints large, and much 

 dilated, on the inner side, the last joint elongated, rounded at the 

 apex, and gradually contracted in width towards the opposite ex- 

 tremity ; the two preceding joints nearly triangular. Palpi short, 

 with the terminal joint somewhat dilated at the extremity, and 

 truncated. Legs and tarsi simple ; the tarsi small, short, 5-jointed ; 

 the basal joint the largest, the remaining joints successively smaller ; 

 claws minute. Head large, bent downwards ; eyes nearly round, 

 being but indistinctly emarginated in front. Thorax transverse, 

 trisinuated behind ; posterior angles rounded ; the anterior sub- 4- 'g d^'^ 

 acute. „ • ,'. •^^ ■'' , 1 



Tricorynus Zece. ' 



Brown, or pitchy black, imperfectly covered with an exceed- 

 ingly fine ashy pubescence ; antennec and legs pitchy red ; thorax 

 transverse, posteriorly equal to the elytra in width, anteriorly 

 much contracted ; elytra rather longer than broad ; the basal half 

 with the sides parallel, the apical portion rounded ; two or three 

 faint striae are observable near the lateral margin of each elytron, 

 beyond this there is no sculpturing. 



Length 1| to 2 lines. 



This insect greatly resembles certain species of Dorcatoma in 

 most of its characters, but differs in having ten, instead of nine, 

 joints to the antennee; it is rather larger than the Ochina jitinoides, 

 and is proportionately broader, and not quite so convex. 



M. Chevrolat, to whom I exhibited this insect, said he thought 

 it was identical with Dejean's Dorcatoma Muserum, 



1 



