and Central American Malachiidae and Melyridae. 79 



the antennae more slender, joints 3-8 subequal in length (9-11 

 missing), 6 distinctly broader than 5 or 7, elytra more widened 

 towards the apex. 



Hab. Mexico, Guanajuato. 



The male of this insect, described by the author, loc. cit. 

 p. 117, was labelled by him as the type, the diagnosis 

 apparently having been taken from the female. The 

 former is readily recognisable by its simple 4- jointed anterior 

 tarsi, and the pecuharly formed, maculate antennae. The 

 only female reserved for the " Biologia " collection un- 

 fortunately wants the anterior legs and part of the antennae. 

 The var. ?, as Gorham supposed, belongs to a different 

 species, Attains crux-nigra. The antennal joints 1-8 of 

 the male of M. discimacula might almost be described as 

 monihform, if viewed in a certain light. 



PSEUDATTALUS, n. gCU. 



Antennae 9-jointed (fig. 16a); apical joint of the maxillary palpi 

 narrow, oblong-ovate, subacuminate ; elytra short, convex, much 

 widened posteriorly in both sexes, without appendages in (^ ; tarsi 

 5-jointed, the upper portion of the second joint of the anterior pair 

 produced over the third in cj; the other characters as in Attains. 



Type, Anthocomus minimus, Er. 



Pseudattalus includes Anthocomus miniynus, Er., and A. 

 seminulum, Er. (both of which were placed under Ehaeus 

 by Gorham), and Ehaeus punctatus, Gorh., minute forms 

 approaching Ehaeus and Hypebaeus; E. aeneovirens, 

 Gorh., has 11-jointed antennae, and it is here included 

 under Attains. A. minimus is selected as the type of the 

 present genus, as both sexes of it are contained in the 

 material under examination, the other species being 

 represented by females- only. The 9-jointed antennae 

 is a unique character in the group, while the tarsal structure 

 of the male is similar to that of Attains. The species are 

 nigro-violaceous, cyaneous, or black, shining, and sparsely 

 pubescent. In the females the elytra do not nearly cover 

 the abdomen. A pecuhar sexual character is to be found 

 in the armature of the intermediate tibiae of the male of 

 P. minimus, and in that of the posterior tibiae of the female 

 of P. armatus. Prof. H. J, Kolbe has kindly communicated 

 a co-type of Erichson's species for examination. 



