the SrycJieUtS Islands and Aklalra. 167 



small, contiguous, the cavities open behind and closed by 

 the mesosternum ; intermediate coxse narrowly separated ; 

 intercoxal process of the abdomen rather narrow, triangular ; 

 ventral segment 5 simple in both sexes, 2 with a pubescent 

 tubercle in (^ ; tibial spurs minute ; tarsi sparsely pubescent 

 on their lower surface, penultimate joint broad and lobed 

 beneath, the claws appendiculate ; body oblong-oval, densely 

 pubescent. 



Type, M. iyisidaris. 



The single species from which the above characters arc 

 taken is nearly related to the holarctic genus Mycterus, 

 some of the members of which have a non-rostrate head ; but 

 it differs from these latter in the still shorter head, the greatly 

 developed eyes, the elongate-triangular apical joint of the 

 maxillary palpi, the small scutellum, &c. An unnamed 

 insect from Madagascar (repi'esented by two broken examples 

 in the British Museum) is still more closely allied to the 

 Seychelles insect. 



5. Mycteromimus insularis, sp. n. (PI. \l. fig. 4, ? .) 



Moderately convex, shining, seneo-piceous, the legs, mouth- 

 parts, and antennae (except the intermediate joints in mature 

 examples) testaceous ; densely clothed wdth pale browaiish 

 or brownish cinereous pubescence (which almost hides the 

 sculpture) , that on the prothorax transversely arranged ; 

 the entire surface densely, minutely punctate, with scattered, 

 irregularly placed, slightly coarser punctures intermixed, 

 these latter giving an asperate appearance to the elytra when 

 the vestiture is removed. Antennae with joint 3 about 

 twice as long as 2, 3-10 gradually becoming shorter and 

 subserrate, 9 and 10 subtriangular, 11 short-ovate. Pro- 

 thorax strongly transverse, the sides rounded anteriorly and 

 parallel at the base. Elytra about four times the length of 

 the prothorax, the humeri rounded. 



(^ . Ventral segment 2 somewhat gibbous in the middle 

 anteriorly and at this place bearing a small, fulvo-pubesceut 

 tubercle. 



Length 4-6^, breadth 2-2^ mm. ( c? ? .) 



Loc. Seychelles : Silhouette, Mahe. 



Twelve specimens, only obtained by beating from the 

 growing leaves of one species of endemic palm [Stevensonia 

 sechellarum) in the mountain-forests : Silhouette, above 

 Mare aux Cochons, over 1000 feet, ix, 1908 ; Mahe, near 

 Morne Plane, and above Cascade Estate, in hotli cases at 

 about 1000 feet. The insect is probably pulverulent in lite 



