590 Mr. T. Vernon Wollaston on tne 



Gray, Esq., and which almost completely satisfies the 

 published diagnosis of that insect, to be likewise a Hex- 

 arthrum. 



117. TOMOLIPS (nov. gen.). With the exception of 

 Pentamimus from Australia, the present genus offers the 

 only exception (as far as I have hitherto observed), outside 

 the subfamily Pentarthrides, in which the funiculus is 

 composed of but five joints ; nevertheless it is so manifestly 

 related to Hexarthrum (in which that organ is 6 -articulate), 

 and likewise to the sub-Hylastideous groups around Bra- 

 chytemnus, that it is as impossible to consider it a Pen- 

 tarthrid as it would be to place Hexarthrum (on account 

 of the number of its funiculus joints) amongst the anoma- 

 lous types of the Onycholipides. And hence, so long as 

 a natural arrangement (and not a purely artificial one) is 

 to be aimed at, I have practically no choice left me but to 

 treat it as an exception in the subfamily Cossonides. It 

 is a significant fact however that its nearest known ally 

 should be a genus in which the funiculus-articulations are 

 likewise reduced in number, in that instance however 

 (from the normal seven) to six ; and it would look therefore 

 as if these immediate forms were subject par excellence (in 

 that particular respect) to instability. Be this however as 

 it may, I will merely repeat that the two genera in question 

 (namely Hexarthrum and Tomolips) are, with the excep- 

 tion of Pentamimus and Tatracoptus, the only instances, 

 so far as I am aware, in the present subfamily, in which 

 the funiculus is otherwise than 7 -jointed, it being com- 

 posed of six articulations in the one, and of five in the 

 other. 



But, apart from this primary peculiarity in the structure 

 of its funiculus, Tomolips is somewhat osculant between 

 Hexarthrum and the strictly sub-Hylastideous genera in 

 which the rostrum is extremely short and broad, the eyes 

 are less widely separated, and the sculpture is remarkably 

 coarse ; whilst in the obtriangular shape of its solid and 

 compressed club it shews an equal affinity with the 

 European Stereocorynes. However its posteriorly-aspe- 

 rated elytra is a character of considerable importance, and 

 one which is likewise indicated (though to a less extent) in 

 Hexarthrum. In its glabrous antennae (the scape of 

 which is much abbreviated, and the funiculus very com- 

 pact), as well as in its four anterior coxae being nearly 

 contiguous, it is in perfect accordance with these imme- 



