275 



very flat opaque and very finely punctulate, especially those 

 near the suture. The frontal carina is very feeble in the male 

 and not elevated into a tooth or horn (at most only angular) at 

 its extremities in either sex. The distance between the external 

 tubercles of the pronotum is a little greater than the width of 

 the head. 



0. Palmerstoni, sp. no v. Sat brevis, lateribus sat rotundatis ; 

 supra glaber ; subtus f ulvo-hirtus ; modice nitidus ; obscure 

 rufus, antennis dilutioribus ; capite fere ut 0. CowUyi, sed 

 lamina frontali ad latera nuUo mode elevata et oculis non- 

 nihil angustioribus ; prothorace fere ut 0. Cotvleyi sed supra 

 minus crebre ruguloso (basin versus haud ruguloso sed con- 

 cinne subsparsim minus profunde punctulato), parte sub- 

 basali ipsa anguste Isevi opaca, angulis posticis magis 

 definitis ; elytris subtiliter crenulato-striatis, striis sub- 

 nitidis, crenulis quam strife nullo modo latioribus, interstitiis 

 planis (latera versus leviter convexis) opacis coriaceis vix 

 manifesto punctulatis ; pygidio coriaceo, leviter sparsim 

 punctulato ; metasterno coriaceo sat sparsim modice punc- 

 tulato Maris (?) clypeo antice minus producto subemarginatim 

 truncato, lateribus antice vix sinuatis ; tibiis anticis modice 

 elongatis, minus latis, extus sat for biter 4:-dentatis. Long., 

 5| 1.; lat., ^ 1. 

 The unique specimen before me of this insect has front tibiae 

 scarcely so long and narrow as those of the male of 0. Cowleyi 

 but much more so than those of the female of that species ; I 

 think therefore that it is a male. There are about 7 crenulations 

 on the edge of the front tibiae above the uppermost of the large 

 teeth. The most satisfactory characters for distinguishing it 

 from the other Onthophagi of this group seem to be the punctura- 

 tion of the pronotum and the surface sculpture of the elytra. 

 The former does not (as it does in 0. laminatus, Macl.) become 

 faint and scarcely impressed behind the middle, but changes from 

 being (in the middle of the dorsal surface) close and rugulose 

 vermiculate sculpture to become behind the middle isolated 

 deeply impressed sparse strong non-rugulose punctures. The 

 distance between the external tubercles of the pronotum is less 

 than the width of the head. The elytral striae are exceptionally 

 fine and the dorsal interstices absolutely flat and as opaque as 

 those of the species referred to above as 0. atrox, Har., — so that 

 (as in the latter) the striae appear nitid in contrast. The pronotum 

 is more nitid than in any other Oni}ioi:)hagus known to me (of 

 this group) except laminatus, Macl. The absence of upward 

 projection at the ends of the frontal lamina distinguishes this 

 insect from laminatiis and Cowleyi of both sexes but the degree 

 of upward projection in those species varies too much to justify 



