404 Memoirs on the Coleoptera 



suture is impressed and very distinct throughout. The type is 

 the following: 



Piperis convexicauda n. sp. — Form very evenly elongate-oval, with but very 

 feebly swollen humeri; beak in the type fully two-thirds as long as the body; 

 antennae blackish, the scape almost as long as the remainder; prothorax a little 

 longer than wide, the sides moderately converging and straight, gradually round- 

 ing in about apical third to the feeble sinuses, the tubulation conical and fully 

 half as wide as the base, defined at the sides by a feeble constriction; punctures 

 very minute and sparse; toward the sides there are some fine longitudinal ruguli- 

 form lines, which are finely punctulate; elytra oval, two-fifths longer than wide, 

 at the humeri just visibly wider than the prothorax, only one-half longer, the 

 very fine and extremely feeble striae finely punctate, the intervals smooth; under 

 surface in great part strongly but loosely punctate. Length 5.65 mm.; width 

 2.4 mm. Brazil (Chapada — campo). November. One specimen. 



On the median line of the abdomen there is a very feeble impres- 

 sion on the first and another on the second segment; this may or 

 may not indicate the male as the sex of the unique type of this very 

 peculiar and isolated species. 



Parapiperis n. gen. 



In this genus the body is also elongate-ovoidal, sometimes faintly 

 rhombic and, in one species, distinctly cuneiform; it is shining, very 

 feebly sculptured and glabrous throughout. The beak and antennae 

 differ somewhat in the species, but in the type the former is moderate 

 in length, thick, cylindric, nearly smooth, distinctly and evenly 

 arcuate, feebly impressed along the sides basally and deeply beyond 

 the antennae, separated by a moderate sulciform impression and 

 with the mandibles deeply bifid, arcuate and strongly decussate. 

 The antennae in the type are notably short, very slightly post- 

 median, the first funicular joint longer than the next two, the second 

 slightly, the others strongly, transverse, compact and increasing in 

 width, the club large, oval, more than twice as long as wide, grad- 

 ually pointed, somewhat gradually formed and nearly as long as the 

 preceding seven joints. The prosternum separates the coxae by 

 almost twice their width and is rather tumid, rapidly sloping up- 

 ward beyond the coxae and, posteriorly, it is broadly, evenly sinuate 

 somewhat behind the mesocoxal tangent, closely adhering to the 

 mesosternal surface. The legs throughout are nearly as in the 

 preceding genus. Prothorax broadly constricted at apex, the 

 gradual tubulation conic, the basal lobe gradual, prominent and 

 broadly rounded, the scutellum more or less transverse, closely 

 fitted, triangular, with broadly sinuate base, the elytra nearly as in 

 the preceding; the pygidium is smaller, narrower, vertical and 

 nearly flat, not longer than wide and deeply, loosely punctate; first 



