383 Rev. T. A. Marshall on new Genera 



Adoocus (inglorious) and Eudoxus (glorious) instead. The former 

 appellation he applies to the small dark species of Europe, and 

 proposes the latter for Eumolpus Ignitus, Fab., and its congeners, 

 the large gorgeous beetles of South America. Such inconsisten- 

 cies, however, involving the mere propriety of names, are of little 

 moment. 



It will be seen, then, that of the 59 genera proposed in De- 

 jean's Catalogue only 19 have any real existence, leaving us a 

 balance of 40 to describe or reject, as the groups indicated may 

 seem to require. Hardly any of these genera can be regarded 

 as unnecessary, or wholly superseded by the described genera of 

 more modern authors. So great is the diversity of the species 

 they have been forced to include, that the old names may still in 

 most cases be utilized. For example, Mr. Baly's genus Geloptera 

 has hitherto been included under Edusa, chiefly, it would seem, 

 because the forms are all Australian. These two genera are now 

 suflSciently distinct ; and the true Edusa only needs characteriza- 

 tion to make it a good genus. No valid reason can be given 

 why names long known to collectors, and recognized as con- 

 renient expressions, should be suiFered to fall into oblivion. As 

 a matter of convenience, they should rather, when possible, be 

 described and perpetuated; thus the collector will find that, 

 instead of having to learn a new name, the old idea fixed in his 

 mind has, to his great advantage, assumed a real and permanent 

 existence. For the future, it is to be hoped that every inventor 

 of MS. names will meet with the treatment due to so silly and 

 reprehensible a practice. 



I. proceed to describe the first uncharacterized genus of De- 

 jean's Catalogue, Metaxyonycha, Chevr., separated by him from 

 Colaspis upon slight, although perhaps sufficient, grounds. 

 Fourteen species are before me, presenting considerable diver- 

 sity of appearance. I have indicated the group or subgenus to 

 which each appears to belong, under each species. I purposely 

 abstain from making these subdivisions until the remainder of 

 the species shall have become known to me. The differences to 

 which I refer concern chiefly the strise of the elytra, the con- 

 vexity of the thorax, and other details, none of which appear to 

 be of sufficient value to justify the multiplication of genera. 



Genus Metaxyonycha*, Chev., D'Orb. Diet, 



Colaspis, Fab. Colaspis (pars), Dej. Cat. 



Caput verticale, thoraci haud ad oculos usque insertum, inter oculos 



* I have spelt this name correctly for the first time. The derivation 

 (fifTa^v and wv^) is given by Chevrolat in D'Orbigny's Diet. s. v. Meta- 

 zyonycha. Cf. a similar mistake in Lozotania, Lozogramma, for Loxot., 

 Ijoxogr. (Lepidoptera), &e. 



