180 'S]y. G. Lewi? on 



XXVIII. — On neio Speciesof Histeridte and Xotices of others. 

 By G. Lewis, F.L.S. 



This pa{)er, the tweiity-eiglitli, follows one ])ublished last 

 April, and the series as a whole will in a measure serve as a 

 supplement to Mar^eul^s Monograph of 1853-1^64:. Marseul 

 established very few genera, less than forty in all, and appa- 

 rently he was reluctatit to increase their number, although, 

 had he had more material at his hand, there is litile doubt 

 he would have founded others. He would not, for instance, 

 liave associated PhyUoma hahiense and cordcale, F., or 

 Sternaul'ix zdindica and Edionrdsi, Mars., in the same 

 genera if he had known more than a single species of each 

 kind. To-day our knowledge of the family is but a little 

 more advanced, as the Histeridai belong to a class of insects 

 which, being small and of secretive habits, dj not come 

 within the observation of general collectors, and they also 

 require special methods of search, as some attach themselves 

 to other insects, such as ants, termites, wood-boring Coleo- 

 ptera, &c. It is a matter for regret that collectors, while over- 

 looking the Histeridse, miss many curious species of Colydiidse 

 and others which are commensal with them ; this applies 

 especially to collections made in the tropics. 



One of the most curious discoveries of recent years is the 

 finding of one of the Saprinini, Chelyoxenus xei-ohatis, Hubb., 

 which has asymmetrical claws, in the galleries made by a 

 tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus, in Florida, and another of 

 nine or ten species of Monoplius in the tenements raised by 

 the termite llodotermes HavHandi, Sh., in S. Africa. 



In my recent Catalogue varietal names (Ann. & Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. vol. xvi. p. 340, 1905) appear as part of the synony;ny, 

 and I observe with satisfaction that the Recorder of the 



' Zoological Record,^ 1904, remarks that " the naming of 



• • • 1 I 



varieties is at present carried to a great extent, and we liave 



not space to record them all, but we endeavour to point out 



all that appear to be of real importance.^' Any nafne 



reasonably and purposely omitted in the annual register of 



the ' llecord' is practically deleted, and a recognized method 



of deletion of superfluous names is annually becoming more 



and more desirable. The Recorder also says : '* It may not be 



superfluous to add that the study of variation is by no means 



dependent for advancement on the naming of varieties.'' 



