170 Mr. A. Murray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar, 



tions of this group of the Nitidulidse instead of two — the Niti- 

 dulinse, the Lorditinse, and the Cychraminse. At any rate, it is 

 clear that M. Thomson, in contrasting Axyra with Lordites, 

 has not selected the most kindred form. It lies in affinity, as 

 it does in geographical position, between the South-American 

 Psilotus and the Indian IschcEna. There are, however, one or 

 two undescribed South-American insects identical in form and 

 facies with Axyra, differing only (so far as facies is concerned) 

 in being more shining and less rough. There are some trifling- 

 differences in the parts of the mouth, such as the labrum being 

 only slightly emarginate instead of deeply bilobed, which may 

 perhaps warrant us in erecting them into a separate genus or 

 subgenus (which I call Axyrodes) ; but they are to all intents 

 and purposes true South-American representatives of the African 

 genus Axyra. 



The geographical distribution of that genus is : — 



1. Axyra brunnea, Er. Guinea. 



2. — — picea {Nitidula picea, Boh.). Natal. 



3. [Galaor] perforata, Thoms. Gaboon and Old Calabar. 



4. A more convex species, with conspicuous rows of white 

 bristles, which I have received with the simple locality "Africa" 

 attached to it, but which I have also seen in the Marquis de 

 Laferte^s collection, standing under the name albosticta, from 

 India. In the discrepancy of localities, I prefer Africa ; and I 

 prefer my own provisional name of setosa to albosticta of Laferte, 

 as there are no white dots upon it, only white bristles. 



5 & 6. The two following, elongata and papulosa, from Old 

 Calabar. 



The two species of Axyrodes which I have seen are, one found 

 at Ega by Mr. Bates, the other sent from Merida by M. Pilate. 



The genus Axyra is figured by Lacordaire in the plates of his 

 ' Genera des Coleopteres.^ As I have alluded to a certain degree 

 of affinity between Axyra and Psilotus, I may take this oppor- 

 tunity to point out an error in Lacordaire's figure of the dissec- 

 tions of the parts of the mouth of Psilotus carbonicus, Erich., 

 which at first puzzled me, and may lead to a wrong appre- 

 ciation of the affinities of that genus, especially when it has 

 crept into a work of such importance and accuracy as Lacordaire's 

 ' Genera.' The representation of the maxilla is quite right ; but 

 by some unhappy mischance the ligula of a Colastus has got 

 substituted for that of Psilotus. The paraglossse or appendages 

 of the ligula of Colastus are very remarkable. No other beetle, 

 so far as my experience goes, has anything like them. They 

 have something of the form of the flourish of a cow's horn. 



