On Fossil Arthropods in the British Museum. 65 



III. — Fossil Arthropods in the British Museum. — III. 

 By T. D. A. Cockerell, University of Colorado. 



The present part deals wholly with Coleopterous elytra from 

 the Eocene. 



Mr. R. J. Tillyard *, describing- some fossil beetle elytra 

 from Australia, remarks : — " The placing of single elytra, 

 however perfect, can seldom be more than a matter of con- 

 jecture, since there are scarcely any types of sculpture that 

 are confined to one family only. But, where the fossil 

 specimen is well enough pres'Tved, it is nevertheless usual to 

 name it. Thus, a number of what may be termed ' genera of 

 convenience ' have arisen, of which it may be said that each 

 one serves to gather together, as a single group, all those 

 fossil elytra which show correspondence in shape and eculp- 

 tuie, within certain limits. An example of such a genus is 

 Adtmosyne, Handlirsch, from the Ipswich beds. Under this 

 name are now comprised no less than ten species, which 

 might belong to the Hydrophilidae, Parnidse, or Tenebrionida?, 

 the type of elytron which they represent being commonly 

 found in all three families." 



In the case of the elytra described below, the uncertainty 

 referred to by Mr. Tillyard exists; though it might, perhaps, 

 be removed, at least in part, by one more familiar with the 

 C deoptera of the world. An intensive morphological study 

 of Coleopterous elytra, with large quantities of material, would 

 probably reveal many significant diagnostic features, which 

 could be seen in the fossils. In the meanwhile, however, all 

 these elytra present excellent specific characters, and are, I 

 t .ink, perfectly recognizable. They can accordingly be used 

 in stratigraphy and in estimating the resemblances and 

 differences between Cenozoic faunas. For these reasons alone 

 it appears justifiable to make them known. 



Carabites mnealus, sp. n. (Fig- 1) 



Elytra 8*5 mm. long and slightly over 4 wide, the base 

 broadly truncate, the apex narrowed but obtuse, the outer 

 margin gently curved ; ten delicately punctured and feebly 

 impressed striae, the outer one failing below the humeral 

 angle, and supplemented by a short stria a short distance 

 mesad of it ; a fine curved sulcus or impressed line, inde- 

 pendent of the striae, extending inward and downward from 



* Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, xlii. (1918) p. 749. 

 Ann. <k May. N. Hist. Ser. 9. Vol. vi. 5 



