270 Mr. Frederick Bates on 



convex, regularly ob-ovate, the surface finely asperous 

 with minute obliquely-hollowed tubercles, from which 

 arise the spinose hairs with which the surface is more or 

 less invested, and a few similar, but much larger, dis- 

 persed tubercles, from each of which starts a long, black, 

 erect, setose hair. Body beneath, and legs, dark brown, 

 shining ; closely and coarsely punctured (save the abdo- 

 men, which is much more finely and sparingly so), and 

 clothed, like the upper surface, with long, decumbent, 

 cinereous, spinose hairs, those on the legs being finer 

 and pale griseous ; claws of the tarsi stoutly and bluntly 

 denticulate, the denticulations five in number on each 

 branch. 



Hah. — South Africa. 



This insect came to me labelled " Tinatismus vestitus, 

 E. Z.," but upon what authority I know not. 



Alcmeonis, n. g. 



Very near to Atractus,'^ from which it difi"ers in having 

 the form more depressed; the last joint of all the palpi 

 shorter and broader with the second of the maxillary a 

 little longer and more slender ; the thorax broader be- 

 hind, with the base subsinuous ; the scutellum shorter 

 and more broadly rounded posteriorly ; the intercoxal 

 process sub triangular, and subacuminate at the apex ; 

 the legs (especially the posterior pair) much shorter and 

 more slender; the claws of the tarsi less robust and more 

 finely pectinate. 



Although the characters of this and the two following 

 proposed new genera may be considered slight, they are 

 combined with a fades diflerent from that of Atractus ; 

 and, taken together, may, I think, constitute proper 

 genera. The genera belonging to this section of the 

 family Cistelidcv, which has for its chief chai'acter the 

 mandibles elongate and entire at their extremity, althougli 

 ofiering a great diversity in Jiahit, do not always present 

 veiy marked distinguishing characters. 



I know only the female of this genus. 



* Lacordaii'e, Genera des Coleop. v. 497. This name beiug already iu 

 use, Mr. Pascoe (Journ. of Entom. ii. 23, note) has proposed /Ethyssiiis toi 

 replace it. See PI. XII. fig. 7, antennae and palpi of Atractus. 



