Mr. J. Xictncr on new Ceylon Colcujjtera. 185 



tra with two short huinerHl costrt*, separately roundcd-off at the 

 apex. Legs stout ; two jiosterior coxa? distant ; tibife slightly 

 bent at the base, snbcylin Jric at the apex, tlie four anterior ones 

 hairy; tarsi with joints 1-1- gradually decreasing in size, the 

 anterior ones dilated, the joints transversely triangular, the in- 

 termediate pair hairy on the inside. Mesostenium of the pre- 

 ceding. Metasternnni with a slight longitudinal depi'cssion 

 down the middle. Penultimate abdominal segment grooved on 

 the back, as in S. alaiiis. In the enlargement of the anterior 

 tarsi lies undoubtedly, as in otlier beetles, a sexual distinction, 

 as it is not equally strong in all iiidividuals. 1 may mention 

 here, that upon some of the individuals I found ticks (some 

 genus allied to Ixodes, biit not a Gamasvs) fastened, one of them 

 having made a wound such as, supposing it to be inHieted at a 

 corresponding place and on a proportionate scale, few aniuials of 

 a higher order, 1 think, would have survived; still this little 

 beetle appeared perfectly at its ease. The parasite alluded to 

 had fastened itself riirht in the centre of the forehead, and the 

 wound it had intlicted in this, one would imagine most dangerous 

 place, was a deep hole or pit with a callous border. The latter 

 led me to infer that the injury was an old one, and the tick being 

 at the time fastened in it (and this so firmly that I had some 

 difficulty in detaching it), I felt sure it had been in this position 

 for months. The injury was observable under a slight magni- 

 fier, and to compare it to one inflicted by a rifle-ball, would, I 

 think, be greatly underrating its importance. 



II. Fourth joint of the mcrillary palpi acuminated ; mesosternal 

 cori/ia strongly developed; eyes large, prominent, coarsely 

 granulated : antenace distant at the base ; two posterior tro- 

 chanters sintple ; thorax variable ; body robust, pyriform, 

 subconvcx, 



a. Occiput rounded. 



35. Scydmcenus advolans, N. 



S. long. corp. f lin. Anteunse art. 3 et 4, .5 et 6, inter se sub- 

 sequalibus, obovatis, 7 majore, subgloboso, 8-10 subglobosis, basi 

 rotunda-, apice oblique-, truncatis, cum 11° conico clavam 

 foruiautibus. Palpi maxill. art. 3° elougato, inverte conico, 4° me- 

 diocri. ^landibulse teuues, medio acuminate l-dentatse, basi 

 abrupte dilatatse. Thorax ovato-rotundatus, apice fortius angus- 

 tatus, basi le^iter 2-sinuatus, 4-foveolatas. Elytra apice singnlatini 

 rotuudata. Tarsi art. 2-3 snbajqualibus. 



The insect is of a brown colour, the antenure lighter, the legs 



