the Atlantic Cossonides. 379 



variety of outline, and the anomalous cliaracter* possessed by two 

 of them of a large acute sinne towards the base of the upper (! ) 

 edge of their femora, that they are nevertlieless members of a 

 single group ; and I am the more convinced of this, since in 

 many well-known Rhynchophorous genera (such as Ceulorhynchus, 

 Ccxliodcs and Bruchus), \vc have exponents with toothed thighs 

 (though toothed in the usual manner, it is true, — i.e. on the nnder 

 side, not on the upper), and others with simple ones. For when 

 we take into account their most pecidiar feature of a 5-jointed 

 funiculus, as well as their glabrous bodies, obsolete scutella, and 

 the other essential points of their structure, it is impossible to 

 help perceiving that they are all nearly akin inter se and cannot 

 properly be separated. I have, however, formed a distinct 

 section for the dentate species, and have given it a provisional 

 name, in the event of its being found desirable hereafter to 

 detach it from the other. 



Judging from his description and figure, and taking into ac- 

 count the island habitat, there cannot be the slightest doubt what- 

 soever, that at any rate the first two species described below are 

 congeneric with M. Chevrolat's jMicroxylohius IVeslwoodii, cha- 

 racterised in the first volume of the " Tran. of the Ent. Soc. of 

 London," in 18iJG. I have, however, compiled a fresh diagnosis 

 for tin's interesting little group, because that given by M. Chev- 

 rolat, being founded upon the details of a solitary representative, 

 does not apply to the whole five now before me ; whilst, more- 

 over, even as regards those points in which it is sufficiently 

 accurate, it is far too short. It would seem, too, inter alia, that 

 his quasi'gf^nex'ic character, " elytra singulatim rotundata extre- 

 mitate," is merely a trivial one, as it certainly does not accord 

 with any of the species here established (though it is a feature 

 which is more or less evident in the Pentarthra proper, and one 

 vvliich is just traceable even in the two Mesoxenl from Madeira 

 and the Canaries), whilst the specific variation in the length of 

 the second joint of the funiculus he had of course no opportunity 

 of ascertaining, — his M. IVestwoodii belonging apparently to the 

 former of my divisions, in which that articulation is scarcely 

 longer than the third, and following ones. Moreover, his " Pedes 



• Whelher tliis cliaracter be a sexual one or not, I am scarcely able, from 

 want of more material, to pronounce for certain ; but my belief is, that it is not 

 sexual. At any rate, I have certainly both sexes oftlie M. lucifiigiis ; and there- 

 fore, as there is no appearance of femoral spines in either males or females of that 

 species, it is at least probable that ihe structure is not dependent on the sex in the 

 M. Chevrolatii and conicoltis. 



c c 2 



