456 Mr. G. Lewis on new 



In general the European and American specimens of 

 Meyenia fluviatilis have very short birotules, and although 

 the shaft expands into the rotule on either side, still, from 

 want of length, it does not present the hourglass shape of 

 the Calumet variety, which, and the smooth skeletal spicule, 

 constitute the chief distinguishing features of the latter. 



XLIII. — New Species of Histeridse, with Synonymical Notes. 

 By George Lewis, F.L.S. 



The part of the ' Munich Catalogue ' containing the His- 

 terida? was issued in 1868, and gave 1151 species; and in 

 1884 Herr Joh. Schmidt published a supplementary list of 

 334 species in the ' Berliner ent. Zeitschrift.' Synonymists 

 have corrected our records from time to time, but not to the 

 extent of materially reducing the total of 1485 species ; and 

 lately I have carefully examined the types of the species in 

 the national collection, and the results I have obtained, which 

 relate chiefly to synonymy, are given in this paper. 



The family has not attracted the attention of many ento- 

 mologists, although the monograph of De Marseul, to which 

 too high praise cannot be given, is an excellent introduction 

 to the study of the group, and the clear and well-defined 

 exo-skeleton presented to the student in all the genera offers 

 characters easily tabulated or retained in the memory. Some 

 of the neglect at home doubtless rests on the collectors abroad, 

 who rarely send to Europe even the most abundant species ; 

 and yet many of the most curious species may be easily 

 obtained by searching under loosened bark. 



In the United States the species have been studied as 

 members of a " limited fauna," and it is difficult at once by 

 the aid of the descriptive literature alone to arrange all the 

 American species in their right order in a general catalogue, 

 as the descriptions do not refer to the allied species existing 

 elsewhere. But I hope before long to compile a systematic 

 catalogue, to replace those in alphabetical order now in use. 

 One of the results of limiting the study to local forms in 

 America is manifested by curious irregularities in the esti- 

 mated value of genera on the part of students and authors. Dr. 

 Horn lowers Phelister and Plat y soma to subgenera, and gives 

 full generic value to others, as Echi nodes and Teretriosoma. In 



