378 



Bibliographical Notices, 



may be advantageously combined with the shape of the tibiae ante- 

 riores. They are wanting in Cicindeliniy Carahini, Elaphrini, Scari- 

 tini*t and in the more isolated genera Siagona and Enceladus. Of 

 these, Scaritini distinguish themselves from the others by having a 

 deep incision on the outer edge of the two anterior tibiae, of which 

 one of the terminal spines of the tibiae is removed. All the others 

 have either no incision or only a small one, and both terminal spines 

 in their proper place. HiletuSy Schjodte, combines this last character 

 with the existence of appendices to the epimera metathoracica, whilst 

 all the other Carahi which have not been here mentioned combine 

 the existence of an incision in the two anterior tibiae, carrying one of 

 the terminal spines, with appendiculated epimera. Another point in 

 the structure of the thorax has perhaps in some respects been ob- 

 served, though not clearly expressed, by the American entomologist 

 Leconte, namely, the formation of the sockets of the second pair of legs. 

 Five pieces may participate in the formation of each of these sockets ; 

 1, mesosternum ; 2, metasternum ; 3, episternum mesothoracicum ; 

 4, epimerum mesothoracicum ; and 5, episternum metathoracicum, of 

 the corresponding side. There exist four combinations : the sockets 

 are formed (1) by mesosternum and metasternum alone ; (2) by 

 mesosternum, metasternum, and episterna mesothoracica ; (3) by 

 mesosternum, metasternum, and epimera mesothoracica ; (4) by me- 

 sosternum, metasternum, episterna, and epimera mesothoracica. In 

 the third and fourth cases a small continuation from the episterna 

 metathoracica sometimes takes part in the formation of the sockets. 

 These four combinations may be represented as in the subjoined 

 diagrams, the numbers indicating the pieces in the order they are 

 mentioned above f . 



* In some Scaritini the epimera metathoracica present a linear impres- 

 sion near the margin, which may be, and has been, mistaken for a real 

 suture ; and the piece thus isolated has been mistaken for the appendices 

 of which we speak. 



t Proc. Royal Soc. of Copenhagen, 1855, p. 360. In this place. Prof. 

 Schjodte has communicated various observations, e. g. on the now Niphargus 

 aquilex, and on Broscosoma and Miscodera, which he shows are so nearlj 

 related that, instead of belonging to different groups of Carabi, as some 

 think, they are both true Harpalini, and would form only one genus if 

 there were not some difference in the construction of the chin and in the 

 shape of the epimera mesothoracica, which are triangular in Miscodera and 

 linear in Broscosoma. It is in so far as Leconte has attended to the shape 

 of these pieces that he may be said to have been on the track of Prof. 

 Schjodte's beautiful observation ; but he has not penetrated the matter, 

 and Prof. Schjodte avails himself of the opportunity to show how unnatural 



