448 Rev. 11. S. Gorliam's ohscrvatiuns 



cannot help (in accordance with my view on the families 

 of the Endomycici) expressing an opinion that before 

 long it will be found conducive to uniformity of system, 

 to consider such sections as the Ipinm worthy of the title 

 of families, and that the high development of such a genus 

 as Hclota, as well as its tarsal peculiarities, would justify 

 its separation into a family by itself. 



Group NECROPHAGA. 



Fam. NITIDULID^ {Ijnnce). 

 Genus Helota, M'Leay. 



Helota gemmata, n. sp. 



Oblongus, subparallelus, a^neo-piceus, nitidus, crebre 

 fortiter punctatus ; elytris striato-punctatis, interstitiis 

 elevatis, extus irregularibus ; interstitio quarto maculis 

 duabus parvis lucidis, luteis. Long. lin. 5^ — 7, $ $. 



3Ias, tibiis anticis leviter incurvatis et interne carinatis ; 

 elytris apice obtuse rotundatis ; abdomine segmentis sex 

 apertis, segment© quinto medio depressione lato, hoc 

 dense cupreo-piloso, segmento sexto precedente plus duplo 

 angustiore, margine laterali incrassato atque elevato, apice 

 triangulariter excise. 



Femina, elytris apice acuminate, abdomine segmentis 

 quinque apertis, quinto medio apicem versus nonnihil 

 depresso, glabro. 



Head produced in front, almost rostrate ; eyes oblong, 

 depressed, slightly elevated in the middle, upper surface 

 closely and deeply punctured, the punctures near the eyes 

 and in front finer and confluent, in the raised middle 

 portion distinct. Thorax widest at base, the sides hardly 

 rounded at all, gradually narrowed in front, crenulate ; 

 disc coarsely punctvired, punctures confluent, several 

 raised impunctate portions varying in individuals in size 

 and number, but of Avhich a central basal one divided in 

 front, and two elongate ones on each side, are the most 

 constant ; hinder angles acute and produced, as is also the 

 base in the middle ; anterior margin sinuate, angles 

 rounded and not much produced. Elytra each with nine 

 or ten striffi, coarsely and irregularly punctured, often 

 coalescing and leaving the interstices as detached raised 

 portions, the two yellow spots on each have apparently 



