264 



ntegriceps, Macl., and humeralis, MacL, are synonyms. These 

 also are discussed below. Consequently of the 105 names under 

 which Australian Onihophagi have been described I regard only 

 84 at most as at present deserving to stand, and to these I now 

 add 26 new species, bringing up the total number to 110. 



The descriptions of the Australian Onthophagi are scattered 

 through the Transactions of a great number of Societies, — 

 European and Australian, — and the types through a, great 

 number of European and Australian Museums ; probably not a 

 few of the types have perished. Many of the descriptions, — 

 especially those of the species from the Port Essington region 

 and from the far North of W. Australia, — are of so slight a 

 character as to be absolutely useless without examination of the 

 types or at least of specimens known to be from the original 

 locality. Under these circumstances there is no one in a position 

 to deal with the Australian Onthophagi in any final or authorita- 

 tive manner. The only method by which such an end can be 

 even approached is that of the provision, by someone possessing 

 data that are at least exceptionally plentiful, of a memoir bring- 

 ing together the results of a careful study of all the existing 

 descriptions and indicating the characters of the different species 

 in a collective form. This can be no more than a provisional 

 treatise, but it will at least be a foundation for further investi- 

 gation, and the (probably numerous) inaccuracies that such a 

 tentative revision must contain can be corrected by those who 

 have the means of examining the types that its author has not 

 had access to. Such an essay seems to be the inevitable first step 

 towards a satisfactory treatment of the subject. I happen to 

 possess, or have access to, a considerable number of specimens 

 from the localities that I have mentioned above as those of the 

 most insufficiently described Australian Onthophagi, and therefore 

 have been able to identify with some confidence most of Hope's 

 species. The specimens referred to were taken by my friend the 

 late Dr. Bovill, by Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, and by Inspector 

 Foelsche, — those of the last two named being in the S. Australian 

 Museum. I think, therefore, that I am in a somewhat excep- 

 tionally favorable position for furnishing a tentative revision of 

 the Australian Onthophagi which I now lay before the Royal 

 Society of S. Australia, not with the expectation that it will 

 prove in all respects accurate, but with the hope that it may 

 prove to be a fresh starting point and will elicit information from 

 various sources by means of which something more satisfactory 

 may follow. I trust it will be found possible at least to identify 

 by means of the following descriptions and notes the insects to 

 which I attribute the various specific names and if so it will be 

 easy for those who have access to types that are not within my 

 reach to call attention to the points that require amendment. 



