Genera of the Cossonidce. 551 



dance of very remarkable features which, are essentially 

 its own, amongst which the proportions of its abdominal 

 segments are by far the most significant, the first and 

 second of them being less elongated, while the third and 

 fourth are considerably more so, than is customary amongst 

 the Cossonids. The shape of its prothorax, likewise, is 

 very peculiar, it being somewhat elongate-quadrate, and 

 rather wider (if anything) before than behind ; its scutellum 

 is rather large and squarish ; its elytra are bi-arcuated in 

 front, and separately rounded-off at their extreme apex; 

 its antennge are slender; and its tibiae, especially the 

 anterior ones, are armed at their inner angle with a dis- 

 tinct spine. The two last-mentioned characters, however, 

 are almost equally indicated in Aorus. 



59. AORUS (Schonherr, Gen. et Spec. Cure. iii. 253. 

 1836). The genus Aorus was established by Schonherr 

 to contain an insect which is found in western Africa, 

 and for an opportunity of inspecting which I am indebted 

 to Mr. Pascoe. It was placed by Schonherr amongst the 

 Cholides ; and although removed by Lacordaire into the 

 CossonidcB, it is by no means a very typical member (any 

 more than Amorphocerus is) of the latter, for its un- 

 usually approximated coxag, narrow, transverse eyes, and, 

 as it seems to me (for the example before me is a good deal 

 mutilated), obsolete tibial hook, are all points of great 

 significance which would certainly tend to remove it from 

 the Cossonids. Still, its other features being on the Cos- 

 sonideous type, I have admitted it into the family, content 

 to call attention to these particular characters (whatsoever 

 they may be worth) of manifest divergence. In other 

 respects, Aorus is remarkable for its exceedingly long, 

 slender, and very arcuated rostrum (into which the antenna? 

 are implanted a little before the middle), for its transverse 

 eyes being altogether depressed, for the second joint of its 

 funiculus being considerably elongated, for its tibiaa (the 

 four anterior ones of which are armed with a spine at their 

 inner angle) being sparingly asperated, or muricate, in- 

 ternally, for its third tarsal articulation being a good deal 

 expanded and bilobed, and for its claws being unusually 

 minute. In outline it is somewhat long and narrow, with 

 the elytra cylindrical and rather convex, and the pro- 

 thorax (the widest part of which is, if anything, a little 

 wider than the elytra) large, convex, regularly oval, and a 

 good deal (and equally) rounded at the sides. 



