ANTHOCORID^B. 295 



Family ANTHOCORID<E. (Vol. Ill, p. 1.) 



A considerable divergence in the generic concepts of different 

 entomologists is very marked in this family, and the difficulty thus 

 create'd is considerably increased by the many genera which have 

 been divided into subgenera. A genus being purely an artificial 

 arrangement necessarily used in the classification and arrange- 

 ment of species, the use of subgeneric names seems scarcely 

 warranted. Most of Still's subgeneric divisions are now used 

 in a generic sense. If divisions of the genus are considered 

 necessary, they scarcely need distinctive names, if they repre- 

 sent true divisions they are for all purposes true genera. The 

 term genus, by the use made of it, is somewhat " fetish " ; in a 

 library catalogue it would represent the shelf on which are 

 found the books relating either to a common subject or to the 

 divisions of that subject as it becomes more elaborated by further 

 study. Eeuter and Poppius have described a number of genera 

 of these minute insects from Malayan habitats ; but as they have 

 not been figured, it is almost impossible to say whether they may 

 not also be represented in British India, and hence some of the 

 new genera here proposed may possibly prove to be synonymous 

 with genera they have described. 



I have to thank Dr. Handlirsch of the Vienna Museum for 

 letting me see and figure some of the species recently described by 

 Poppius. 



Genus SEPTICIUS, nov. 

 (To follow Ostorodias, Vol. Ill, p. 2.) 



Type, S. clarus. Dist. 



Distribution. Bengal. 



Subovate, subdepressed ; head very little longer than broad at 

 base, central lobe prominent, very slightly extending beyond the 

 lateral lobes ; eyes large but slightly adpressed, ocelli near posterior 

 margins of eyes ; antennae longly pilose, first and second joints 

 stout, first joint about reaching apex of head, second nearly twice 

 as long as first and thicker at apex than at base, third and fourth 

 slender, almost subequal in length ; pronotum twice as broad at 

 base as long, anteriorly moderately convexly gibbous, anterior 

 collar distinct and finely transversely striate, transversely im- 

 pressed near base, behind the impression finely transversely 

 wrinkled, lateral margins sinuate, rounded towards anterior 

 margin, basal margin nearly straight, only slightly emarginate ; 

 scutellum triangular ; corium (including embolium) about as long 

 as posterior tibiae, cuneal fracture distinct, outer margin of 

 cuneus rounded ; membrane considerably passing abdominal apex ; 



