﻿236 
  LE 
  CONTE.— 
  SYNOPSIS 
  OF 
  THE 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  it 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  the 
  name 
  Ancylonycha 
  is 
  the 
  one 
  entitled 
  to 
  least 
  regard, 
  

   since 
  it 
  the 
  more 
  recent, 
  among 
  the 
  uncharacterized 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  among 
  the 
  char- 
  

   acterized 
  names. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  are 
  very 
  numerous, 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  those 
  recently 
  discovered 
  in 
  the 
  South 
  

   Western 
  territories 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  present 
  some 
  very 
  curious 
  characters 
  in 
  the 
  

   spurs 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  tibia;, 
  which 
  render 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  several 
  groups 
  easy. 
  

   The 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  ungues, 
  and 
  the 
  prominence 
  of 
  the 
  mandibles 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  repose 
  are 
  

   characters 
  subject 
  to 
  much 
  variation. 
  Following 
  the 
  example 
  of 
  Lacordaire 
  I 
  have 
  

   suppressed 
  the 
  genus 
  Tostegoptera 
  Blanch, 
  founded 
  on 
  Mel. 
  lanceolata 
  Say, 
  and 
  

   Trichesthes 
  Er. 
  as 
  being 
  distinguished 
  by 
  insufficient 
  characters. 
  

  

  The 
  species 
  naturally 
  divide 
  themselves 
  into 
  four 
  principal 
  groups 
  ; 
  of 
  these 
  the 
  

   most 
  numerous 
  is 
  distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  inner 
  spur 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  tibiae 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  

   male 
  connate 
  with 
  the 
  tibia?, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  comparatively 
  large 
  sixth 
  ventral 
  segment 
  

   being 
  somewhat 
  rounded 
  in 
  front 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  invade 
  the 
  fifth. 
  These 
  would 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  

   characters 
  of 
  some 
  importance, 
  and 
  a 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  from 
  Asia 
  and 
  South 
  

   America 
  may 
  shew 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  regarding 
  them 
  as 
  generic, 
  in 
  which 
  case 
  Trichesthes 
  

   must 
  be 
  retained 
  for 
  division 
  D 
  ; 
  division 
  A. 
  will 
  keep 
  the 
  name 
  Tostegoptera, 
  and 
  C. 
  if 
  

   differing 
  from 
  the 
  Asiatic 
  species 
  called 
  Holotrichiaby 
  Hope 
  must 
  receive 
  a 
  new 
  

   name. 
  In 
  that 
  event, 
  however, 
  as 
  at 
  present 
  the 
  following 
  grouping 
  exhibits 
  the 
  

   relations 
  of 
  our 
  native 
  species. 
  

  

  A. 
  Ungues 
  prope 
  basin 
  dentati 
  ; 
  tibia: 
  posticae 
  calcaribus 
  utriusque 
  sexus 
  liberis. 
  

  

  I. 
  Corpus 
  squamulis 
  vestitum 
  ; 
  thorace 
  postice 
  haud 
  angustato 
  calcaribus 
  pusticis 
  rectis 
  Sp. 
  1. 
  

  

  II. 
  Thorax 
  ante 
  basin 
  latior; 
  calcaribus 
  posticis 
  rectis, 
  obtusis 
  • 
  Sp. 
  2 
  — 
  3. 
  

  

  III. 
  Corpus 
  supra 
  glabrum 
  ; 
  thorace 
  ante 
  basin 
  latiore, 
  calcaribus 
  posticis 
  contortis 
  Sp. 
  4. 
  

  

  B. 
  Ungues 
  ad 
  medium 
  dentati 
  ; 
  tibise 
  posticse 
  calcare 
  interno 
  maris 
  fixo, 
  solido, 
  (nonnunquam 
  obsoleto); 
  

   abdomen 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  ventrali 
  majusculo. 
  

  

  IV. 
  Palpi 
  maxillares 
  articulo 
  ultimo 
  ssepe 
  ovali 
  ; 
  antennae 
  9-articulate 
  ; 
  corpus 
  cylindricum, 
  

  

  supra 
  glabrum 
  Sp. 
  5 
  — 
  7. 
  

  

  acricca 
  and 
  iricolor 
  would 
  form 
  another 
  sub-genus 
  which 
  might 
  be 
  called 
  Stilbolemma, 
  unless 
  they 
  are 
  included 
  

   in 
  Seriea 
  MacLeay, 
  or 
  Omaloplia 
  of 
  Megerle 
  ; 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  their 
  genera 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  seen. 
  M. 
  pilosicollis, 
  

   longitarsa, 
  and 
  moesta 
  of 
  Knoch 
  and 
  Say 
  should 
  each 
  constitute 
  a 
  subgenus. 
  The 
  latter 
  (with 
  M. 
  sordida 
  and 
  

   frondicola 
  Say 
  ?) 
  belongs 
  to 
  Kirby's 
  genus 
  Apogonia. 
  From 
  the 
  singular 
  manner 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  nails 
  are 
  divided 
  

   at 
  tip, 
  I 
  would 
  call 
  the 
  linearis 
  of 
  Schonherr 
  Dichelonyx.' 
  

  

  Ibid, 
  vol. 
  x.j). 
  8. 
  (Note.) 
  

  

  ' 
  Stenothorax 
  would 
  be 
  an 
  appropriate 
  name 
  for 
  the 
  subgenus 
  having 
  the 
  subspinosa 
  for 
  its 
  type. 
  

  

  Scarabseus 
  lanigerus, 
  Linnaeus 
  Melolontha 
  lanigera, 
  Fabr. 
  has 
  been 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Rutela 
  ; 
  but 
  Schonherr 
  

   says 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  Ratela, 
  and 
  arranges 
  it 
  between 
  M. 
  fastuosa 
  and 
  M. 
  aurata 
  F., 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Anomala? 
  

   it 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  subgenus. 
  See 
  Schonherr's 
  Synonymia 
  Insectorum, 
  III. 
  p. 
  

   504. 
  Scaralbmus 
  ptuictatus, 
  Lin., 
  Melolontha 
  punctata 
  Fabr., 
  or 
  Rutela 
  punctata, 
  Latroille, 
  belongs 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Mac- 
  

   Leay's 
  genus 
  Pelidnota. 
  

  

  Melolontha 
  varians 
  Fabr. 
  is 
  congeneric 
  with 
  the 
  Anomala 
  vitis 
  of 
  Megerle 
  and 
  Koppe.' 
  

  

  