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VII. The genus Otocephalus. By D. Sharp, M.A., F.R.&. 

 With Notes on the habits of Asemum striatum and 

 Otocephalus ferus. By F. Gilblkt Smith.* 



Plate IX. 



In the Munich Catalogue of Cjleoptera (vol. ix, 1872, 

 p. 2789) CHocephalus is allotted ten species. Another 

 species has since been added by Herr Edinond Reitter, 

 G. syriacus, Wien. Eut. Zeit., 1895, p. 86. G. coriaceus, 

 Motsch., must be rejected as the description is totally 

 worthless (cf. p. 158), and no type is known. G niexi- 

 canus, Thorns., is treated as a synonym of G. ohsoletus. 



Great confusion has always existed as to the species, 

 and there are numerous errors in the Munich Catalogue. 

 A revision of the genus will therefore be useful as a step 

 towards the attainment of further knowledge. 



I owe my thanks to Mr. Gahan for assisting me in the 

 examination of the specimens in the British Museum, and 

 to M. Rene Oberthlir, Herr Edmond Reitter, M. Louis 

 Bedel, Mr. G. C. Champion, and Mr. George Lewis for the 

 communication of specimens. 



Distribution. 



The genus Criocefhalus is distributed over the Northern 

 hemisphere, occurring in about equal numbers in the Old 

 and New Worlds; it does not pass the equator, and scarcely 

 touches the tropics, except in the highlands of their northern 

 parts. This distribution is probably chiefly determined 

 by the distribution of coniferous trees, to which it is 

 believed the species of Griocepl talus are confined, their 

 food being found in the wood of these trees. G. rusticus 

 has a natural distribution probably as wide as that of any 

 other Coleopterous insect, it is found from Norway to 



* Although Mr. Smith has not had any part in actually drawing 

 up the systematic part of this paper, I have received very important 

 assistance from him in this matter. He first noticed the peculiarity 

 of the deficient spur in the group. The notes on the larvaj have 

 been made by us conjointly. I, of course, have hail no part in Mr, 

 Smith's account of his observations in the field. — D. S. 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1905. — PART I. (MAY) 10 



