Species o/'Histeridee. 465 



Hister casius, n. sp. 



Ovalis, convexiusculus, niger, nitidus ; antennis pedibusque rufis ; 

 fronte pimctulata, stria eirculari ; pronoto stria laterali interna 

 haud interrupta, externa basi vix abbreviata ; elytris rubris 

 macula communi angulata nigra, striis 1-6 integris, 5-6 arcuatim 

 junetis ; propygidio pygidioque grosse puuctatis ; prosterno undi- 

 que strigoso, lobo parce et grosse punctato ; mesosterno arcuato, 

 marginato ; tibiis anticis tridentatis, posticis biseriatirn spinosis. 

 L. 3 mill. 



Hob. El Hahaz (MilUngen). 



This species comes near to kurdistanus, from which it is 

 known by its size and colour, by the simple punctuation of 

 the pygidium and non -sinuate mesosteraum. In kurdistanus, 

 of which Dr. Millingen also found examples, the pygidium 

 has large ocellated punctures. The strigose sculpture of the 

 presternum requires a high power to reveal it. 



Hister femor alts, Motsch. Iti6'3 = ccelestis, Mars. 1857. In 

 a long series I took in Ceylon some of the examples have an 

 anterior transverse line on the thorax, in others it is nearly 

 obliterated, and in most absent ; the last of these varieties 

 agrees with the type of ccelestis. 



Hister castaneus, n. sp. 



Ovalis, subconvexus, castaueus, nitidus ; fronte plana, subtilissime 

 punctulata, stria antice recta, ad oculos terminata ; pronoto stria 

 interna integra, externa vix abbreviata, ante scutellurn subfoveo- 

 lato ; elytris striis 1-4 validis crenatis integris, 5 et suturali abbre- 

 viatis ; propygidio parce punctulato basi subbifoveolato ; pygidio 

 punctulato utrinque subfoveolato ; prosterno subtiliter punctato 

 stria integra ; mesosterno in medio sinuato, stria valida ; tibiis 

 anticis fortiter bidentatis, posticis biseriatirn, longius multispinosis. 

 L. 4 \ ad 5 mill. 



Hab. Chontales [Belt). 



This is a peculiar species as regards colour ; the anterior 

 angles of the thorax are very prominent, and the raised 

 margin is continued round them, joining the internal stria 

 behind the eyes, at which point the stria is slightly deflexed. 

 The lobe of the presternum is large and directed downwards. 

 In one of my examples the fovese in the pygidium are more 

 distinct than in the other, and there is a third fovea at the 

 apex. The fore tibia? are somewhat dilated and have very 

 prominent denticulations. 



The species described by Erichson as Hister pi-cecox and 

 yusio from Peru seem to me to be placed by him in a wrong 

 genus. 



