Bibliographical Notices. 377 



us, most Carahi adapted for digging in the ground undoubtedly be- 

 long to the same natural group — Scaritini ; but this is not the case 

 with all. Some genera also of other groups are adapted for this 

 manner of living by the shape of their heads, their prothorax, an- 

 tennae, and legs, without on that account separating themselves from 

 the group to which they naturally belong. Daptus and Batoscelis 

 amongst Stenolophini, Ditonus, Acinopus, and others amongst the 

 other Harpalini, are in this case. But then the whole set of cha- 

 racters which have reference to this manner of living cannot any 

 longer be considered as the exclusive mark of distinction of any par- 

 ticular group. 



Prof. Schjodte's paper is rich in hints towards a better systematic 

 arrangement of this numerous family than the present one, amongst 

 which we will only mention the peculiar structure of the mouth in 

 Amblystomus, Barysomus, and Cydosomus, whose paraglosscc, being 

 very broad, unite in front of the ligula. 



In connexion with the preceding, a few words may not be out of 

 place with reference to Prof. Schjodte's other contributions to the 

 history of the Carahi. Much valuable information on this suhject 

 is to he found in his ' Denmark's Eleutherata' *, a work which is 

 much less known than it deserves to be. In the second volume of the 

 second series of the ' Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift,' p. 34C, there is an 

 interesting treatise on two new Carahi from Guinea, — Hiletus ver- 

 sutus, which forms the type of a separate group, and Oc/tyropits yiyas, 

 which belongs to Scaritini, but is remarkable for its long legs and 

 vigorous feet. To the description of these species the author adds a 

 number of highly interesting remarks on the systematic value of 

 certain structural modifications of the thorax, of the position and 

 shape of the antennre, as well as of the different modifications to 

 which the neighbouring parts of the head are subject, corresponding 

 to the peculiarities of the antenna?. In the 'Proceedings of the Royal 

 Danish Society' for 1855, he reverts to the subject; and the principal 

 results embodied in these papers may be shortly recapitulated in the 

 following manner. 



In all Carahi the principal part of the epimera metathoracica is co- 

 vered by the elytra, and is therefore quite membranaceous ; but in very- 

 many there is an appendix to the said pieces, which descends towards 

 the haunches, and is visible on the ventral surface. These appendices 

 coalesce more or less with the episterna metathoracica, and appear 

 to a superficial observer as belonging to them ; hence Carahi pre- 

 senting this structure have formerly, both by Schjodte and others, 

 been described as having episterna metathoracica appendiculata, 

 although it ought to be epimera metathoracica appendiculata. It is 

 by comparison with other Colcoptera where the epimera are less 

 completely covered than in Carahi, that Prof. Schjodte has learned 

 the real nature of these appendices. The existence or want of 

 these pieces is of great systematic value. In the family Carabini it 



* Denmark's Eleutherata, I. (Carabl, Dytisci, Gyrini). Copenhagen, 

 1840-42. 25 tables, with analytical drawings. 



