10 Mr. R. Shelford on some 



hind tibise quadrangular, flattened from side to side, broader 

 at the apex than at the base, 6 spines on the outer aspect 

 biseriately arranged, 4 long spines in a single row on the 

 inner aspect near the apex, 5 apical spines, the longest of 

 •which is not quite equal to the first tarsal joint. Tarsi 

 slender, the metatarsi exceeding in length the remaining 

 joints, fimbriate and entirely without pul villi or claws. 



Length 12 mm.; greatest breadth 10 mm.; pronotum 

 6x8 mm. 



Tunis, Gafsa. 



Type in the St. Petersburg Museum. 



This highly remarkable species is an extreme development 

 of the genus Anisogamia, Sauss. ; it resembles that genus in 

 the form and fimbriation of the body, in the length of the 

 first antennal joint, in the concealed and rudimentary cerci, 

 and, to a certain extent, in the armature of the femora. It 

 differs from Anisogamia by the extremely short antennas, by 

 the form of the pronotum, by the femoral armature, and by 

 the simplification of the tarsal structure. The pronotum of 

 Nymphrytria in its shape resembles that of the males of 

 Polyphaga species in its anterior production. The tarsal 

 structure is unique amongst the Blattidse, and it would be 

 interesting to learn if its simplification and the serration of 

 the tibial spines are correlated witli peculiar habits of life ; 

 that the species, like most of the Polyphaga?, has burrowing 

 habits is sufficiently indicated by the structure of the fore 

 tibiae, which, as digging instruments, must rival in efficiency 

 those of Gryllotalpa. 



Polyphaga platypoda, sp. n. (PI. I. fig. 5.) 



$ . Rufo-castaneous, rufo-fimbriate. Antennas short and 

 somewhat incrassated, with 36-40 joints, the apical of which 

 are moniliform. Pronotum slightly produced anteriorly, 

 completely covering the head, together with the meso- and 

 metanotum granulate and with a sparse erect pubescence ; 

 disc with chiselled markings. Abdomen smooth, nitid. 

 Supra-anal lamina subtransverse. Subgenital lamina and 

 cerci as in the preceding genus. Legs short, robust. Femora 

 with a few minute spines on both margins beneath ; no 

 genicular spines. All the tibial spines robust, grooved 

 beneath, and finely serrated. Front tibise as in the preceding 

 species ; mid tibia? with spines on the outer aspect triseriately 

 arranged, none on the inner aspect, 5 apical spines, the 

 longest not equal to the first tarsal joint; hind tibia? curved, 

 opines on the outer aspect triseriately arranged in two groups, 



