neio Species of Histeridae. 3 



in tlie same way ; but in Hypocaccus the keel is depressed 

 anteriorly, and in Pachyhpus the depression is much more 

 marked, as shown in fig. 8. In Pachyhpus and Hypocaccus 

 there is another character in common to all the species, the 

 anterior tibial denticulations are more or less diaphanous at 

 the tips (fig. 8) ; but the principal character which separates 

 these genera from Saprinus is the transverse head and frontal 

 carina. 



Thomson founded the genus Hypocaccus in 1867 (Skand. 

 Col. ix. p. 400), taking as the type Saprinus 4-striatuSf 

 Hoffm. His generic characters are : — 



" Frons antice liaea transversa elevata a clypeo discreta. !Man- 

 dibulte angulo inferiore dorsali elevato-marf^nato. Labrum apice 

 trunoatum. Tibias posteriores spinis validis inter denticulos im- 

 mixtis, anticae calcari vix discreto. Elytra apice immarginata, 

 stria marginali discreta, vix in epipleuris sita. Prosterni lineae 

 longitudinales antrorsum conniventes, approximate, postice subito 

 divergentes." 



Thomson's genus is a natural one, and the species he assigns 

 to it agree rather with Pachylopus than with either Stprinus 

 or Gnathoncus. But Thomson's generic character " elytra 

 apice immarginata " must be modified to admit Saprinus 

 apricariuSj Er., 5^. consputus, Mars., and otliers into the genus, 

 in which the sutural stria is continued along the apical 

 margin. By doing this about forty species may be conve- 

 niently placed in Hypocaccus. I believe that Saprinus macu- 

 latus, semijnuicfatus, spjiendens, and otliers seek their food in 

 carrion and vegetal refuse, and live more or less on the 

 surface of the ground, and in these tlie prosternum has a flat 

 keel; while the species of Pachylopus and Hypocaccus burrow 

 in the sand to the depth of some inches, and the shape of the 

 keel, sharpened oflf anteriorly, must greatly facilitate this 

 action. 



The Scprini may soon require revision ; but I think the 

 best lineal arrangement of the genera now recognized is as 

 follows : — Saprinusj type nitidulus^ Payk. ; Chelioxenus, type 

 xercbafes, Hubb. ; Gnathoncus, type rotundatus, Kugel ; 

 Saprinodes^ type falcifer^ Lew. ; Pachylopus, type dispar, 

 Er. ; Hypocaccus, ^yP^ A-striatus, IlofFm.; Xenonychus, type 

 tridens, Jacq. Duv. ; and Myrmetes piceus, Payk. 



Through the kindness of Mr. A. M. Lea 1 have received a 

 series of Australian sjjecies ; some of these are troni the 

 duplicates of the Macleay Museum and others are from 

 Mr. Lea's own collection. Wiien any reference to these is 

 made in the text it is followed by a number which corresponds 

 to one in Mr. Lea's " Note-book." 



1* 



