Mr. A. Murray on Coleoptera from Old Calabar. 95 



tarsi black. The head impunctate, biimpressed in front. The 

 thorax rather convex, impunctate, with the disk bifoveolate 

 and the sides somewhat expanded and reflexed, and impressed 

 near the posterior angles, which, although acute on the great 

 scale, are inflexed and rounded at the tip, the anterior angles 

 obtuse and rounded at the apex ; base nearly straight. Scu- 

 tellum mitre-shaped. Elytra very faintly impressed with a 

 series of punctures in rows ; but there is a sutural line or stria 

 and an anterior marginal one, both of which are pretty deep 

 and strongly punctate ; the sides are bisinuate, and the mar- 

 gins reflexed ; the shoulders and the disk near the scutellum 

 and before the middle, and the disk behind the middle, all 

 separately raised into prominences. Beneath fulvo-pubescent, 

 the pubescence longest on the metasternum. Abdomen rather 

 flat and somewhat soft. 



This species looks exceedingly like some of the tropical 

 Gallerucidse, as Ageloceraj Mhombopalpaj &c. It does not 

 appear to have been common, a few specimens only having 

 been received. 



Elateridae*. 



Aphanobius, Esch. 

 Aphanohius seclusuSj Cand. Elat. iv. p. 322. 



Several specimens received. 



The genus Aphanohius has hitherto been supposed to be 

 peculiar to the East. Ten species are described by Cand^ze. 

 Of these, four are from the Mauritius and five from other parts 

 of the Indo-Malayan district — Singapore, Java, India, China, 

 &c. ; the occurrence of the only other species (the present) at 

 Old Calabar is, as I think, an evidence either of a connexion be- 

 tween Africa and India, or else of a great geological antiquity 

 of the generic form. The presence of many other Indian 

 forms in Africa makes the foraier the more probable explana- 

 tion; and the greater diffusion of such Indian forms would 

 seem to indicate that the connexion was probably of a much 

 older date than that which seems to have existed between the 

 west coast of tropical Africa and the opposite coast of Brazil. 



CRATONYCHUSt, Boisd. & Lacord. 

 Cratonychus umhilicatuSj OylL, Cand. Elat. iii. p. 322. 

 This is the only species in the large genus Cratonychus 



* All the Elateridae which I had then received from Old Calabar were 

 placed by me in Dr. Candeze's hands at the time he was engaged on his 

 great work on that family, and were therein described. A few additional 

 species have since been received. 



t I do not agi-ee with my friend Dr. Candeze in his reasons for aban- 

 doning the old name Cratmiychus and substituting Melanotus. 



