528 Mr. T. Vernon Wollaston on the 



is perhaps more correctly placed at no great distance from 

 the equally anomalous group Onycholips than in any other 

 situation with which I am at present acquainted. And if 

 it can be shown that the subfamily Onycholipides is its 

 true status, there can be but little doubt (despite the 

 anomalousness of its structure) that it is a veritable mem- 

 ber (although, like its immediate associates, an aberrant 

 one) of the Cossonida ; for Onycholips is so intimately 

 connected, on the one hand (through Halorhynchus and 

 Pentatemnus), with the Pentarthrides, and on the other 

 (by means of Raymondionymus, Alaocyba, and Lipom- 

 mata) with the Cossonides proper, that there is scarcely 

 room for question as to where, in any system of arrange- 

 ment which professes to be a natural one, it should be 

 stationed. 



Although very differently modified, there is a remark- 

 able degree of correspondence between Georrhynchus and 

 Onycholips, not merely in the exact parts selected for 

 modification, but likewise, to a certain extent, even in the 

 kind of their development ; whilst in their subfossorial, 

 sand-infesting modes of life they appear to possess another, 

 and a very significant, point of union. Thus, in both 

 cases, the number of the funiculus-joints is reduced to the 

 very unusual one of six, and that of the tarsal ones to four ; 

 and both genera are almost equally conspicuous for their 

 comparatively pale, hairy, convex, and slightly asperated 

 bodies ; for their greatly abbreviated antennas, rostra, and 

 metasterna; and for their tibiae (although different in 

 detail) being on a compressed and burrowing type, and 

 moreover (which is of the utmost importance) free from 

 an apical hook. In each instance, too, the scutellum is 

 distinct, and (which is especially to be noted) the front 

 coxae are contiguous and the intermediate ones but barely 

 separated. It is true that the eyes and claws, which are 

 absent in Onycholips, are present in Georrhynchus ; but 

 that may indicate a mere generic difference, such as we 

 see paralleled in other groups of the Cossonidce which are 

 universally admitted to be in juxta-position ; and I think 

 therefore that enough has been said to render it at least 

 probable that the two genera in question are not very 

 remote, as regards the several peculiarities of their struc- 

 ture, from each other. And if this fact can be but once 

 established, it seems to me that we have then sufficient 

 evidence to show (as may be gleaned from my observations 



