380 Mr. J. Nietner on new Ceylon Coleoptera. 



head with the antennse, the mesosternum, the tibiae, which are 

 incrassated in the middle^ and the posterior coxse with regard to 

 their enlargement, are quite typical. However, the thorax and 

 elytra differ again from those of T. cursitans (which, in every 

 respect, may be looked upon as the typical representative of the 

 family in Ceylon, and which is here referred to as such), the 

 former by the shortness of the posterior angles, which can hardly 

 be said to envelope the shoulders ; the elytra, by being less or 

 not at all narrowed behind, giving an oblong rather than an 

 oval shape to the insect. Although in length only about one- 

 half shorter, it is in bulk certainly one-fourth smaller than T. 

 cursitans; and, although probably the smallest Ceylon beetle, it 

 is distinguished at first sight. 



19. Ptilium subquadratum, N. 



P. subquadratum, subconvexum, pilosum, obscure seneo-testaceum, 

 thorace dilutiore. Long. corp. ^ lin. 



Caput mediocre. Antennarum elava art. 1° inverte conico, 2° 

 subcylindrico, ultimo elongato-ovato. Thorax convexus, angulis 

 basalibus humeros fortissime amplectentibus, apieem versus valde 

 rotundatus, apice leviter sinuatus. Elytra quadrata, abdomen non 

 totum obtegentia. Scutellura parvvim. Pedes robusti tibiis apieem 

 versus incrassatis, tarsis art. 3" primi secundique longitudine, his 

 subbilobatis subtus penicillatis, coxis posticis simplicibus distantibus. 

 Mesosteruum non carinatum. 



Ubi praecedentes sed infrequenter occurrit. 



The genus Ptilium is the repository for all the anomalies of 

 the family ; its characteristics, therefore, are very vague ; but if 

 the absence of the mesosternal carina and the simplicity of the 

 posterior coxse are the determining features amongst them, the 

 present species, in spite of a variety of anomalies it exhibits in 

 other respects, belongs to it. The head is of middling size ; the 

 antennae robust, with the first joint of the club of the shape of 

 an inverted cone, the second rather cylindrical, narrowed at the 

 base, and the last elongate, ovate. The thorax is of very different 

 structure from that of the foregoing species of the family, the 

 basal angles being produced unusually far beyond the shoulders j 

 towards the head it is strongly and rapidly rounded off, being 

 thus altogether of a semicircular shape ; at the apex it is merely 

 slightly sinuated, and the head is inserted rather below than in 

 this sinuosity ; the whole thorax, moreover, is very convex, whilst 

 the elytra are depressed. The wings vary from the typical form 

 by being fringed with short, simple cilia instead of the long, 

 feathery appendages ; they are, moreover, without a distinct pe- 

 duncle, but still folded in the manner characteristic of the family. 



