On the Silurus and Olanis of the Ancients. 199 



abdominis valde ampliatis ; tibiis brevibus, auticis flexuosis, re- 

 liquis rectis. Long. 3 lin. 



Hah. South Australia ; Tasmania. 



This little species will be easily recognized by the numerous 

 tubercles on the elytra. 



Rhinoncus nigriventris. 



11. ovatus, subnitidus, supra pedibusque ferriigineus, parce subtiliter 

 pilosus, steruis abdomiueque nitide nigris ; rostro breviusculo, sat 

 valido ; prothorace crebre punctato, basi nigro-niarginato ; elytris 

 cordiformibus, striato-punctatis, interstitiis valde convexis, sutura 

 basi albido-squamosa ; corpore infra modice punctato. Long. 1^ lin. 



Hah. Queensland (Grayndah) . 



Rhinoncus was, with one exception, a purely European 

 genus ; there are, however, a number of European genera 

 with representatives, not-yet described, in Australia ; some of 

 them are also found in the Malasian region. This sjjecies 

 is very distinct, and, with all the others from Gayndah men- 

 tioned above, have been kindly sent to me by Mr. Masters, 

 whose successful explorations I have had so often to mention. 



Ereatum. 



In vol. ix. p. 139, under Ofhrophccbe, " scrobes antemediante " felioiild 

 have been " scrobes postmedianse.'' 



XXII. — On the Silurus and Giants of the Ancient Greeks and 

 Romans. By the Rev. W. Houghton, M.A., F.L.S. 



There appears to be no doubt that the sheatfish {Silurus 

 <7/«n/s, Linn.), which has of late years attracted some attention 

 in this country, was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans 

 under the names of silurus [aikovpos:) and glanis {<y\avi^), 

 although some of the writers make a distinction between the 

 names, and the silurus of one author does not necessarily 

 represent the silurus of another. ''The controversies and con- 

 cessions of perplexed critics," as the late Dr. Badham remarks, 

 "caused by this confusion in the ancient nomenclature is 

 amusing. Poor Scaliger, having first asserted that the glanis 

 and silurus were different fish, and the silurus certainly the 

 sturgeon, nexts doubts, and lastly becomes convinced, that the 

 silurus was unknown to Aristotle ; and after breaking his head 

 to reconcile what was quite irreconcilable, he offers Cardan, at 

 last, to give up the controversy altogether, on one condition — 



