131 



often not trustworthy, as many of the species appear to have 

 forms in which the derm (especially of the elytra) may be 

 either black or brown, or even of a livid red. 



The sexes are usually well defined, and the genus may 

 be readily divided into three groups depending on male 

 characters : — 



1. Male with intercoxal process of mesosternum pro- 



duced into a laminated or conical process. 



2. Male with basal segment of abdomen carinate or 



tuberculate. 



3. Mesosternum and abdomen simple in both sexes. 



The elytral punctures are usually much larger in the 

 male than in the female, although before abrasion there is 

 not much apparent difference between them. The male is 

 also usually smaller and narrower ; with more strongly curved 

 tibiae. In many of the species the tibiae (especially the front 

 pair) are ciliated, but (with the exception of inusitatiis) only 

 in the male, and in the following descriptions it has not been 

 considered necessary to comment on its absence in the females. 

 The hind tibi« are sometimes dentate or carinate in the male, 

 but never in the female. Where the front coxae are distinctly 

 separated, the space between them is usually slightly less in 

 the male than in the female, owing to the slightly greater 

 enlargement of his coxae. 



Many species which at tirst sight strongly resemble each 

 other are seen to be very distinct when the sexual characters 

 or the space separating the front coxae are examined. The 

 prothoracic sculpture on abrasion is often very useful in dis- 

 tinguishing apparently closely-allied species. 



Few of the species appear to be at all widely distributed ; 

 ai^d many of them are to be taken at the roots of beach-grow- 

 ing plants ; others occur under logs and stones, and a few 

 under bark. 



The following table of species known to me is arranged 

 principally for convenience of identification. With the pro- 

 bable exception of niger, it is drawn up exclusively from 

 males ; to attempt a table that would include females would, 

 I believe, tend only to confuse instead of assist ; for this 

 reason ]iiinrtiventris (of which I have only a female) is not 

 included : — 



A. Mesosternnm with a laminated intercoxal 

 process. 

 a. The process extending to middle of front 



coxfie ... ... ... ... ... intcrcoxaJifi, n. sp. 



aa. The process much shorter 



h. Base of process flat ... ... ... hoplosfefhus. Pasc. 



hh. Base of process convex ... ... simitlafor. n. sp. 



e2 



