new Species of Histeridse. 3 



in tlie same way ; but in Hypocaccus the keel is depressed 

 anteriorlj, and in Pachylopus the depression is much more 

 marked, as shown in fig. 8. In Pachylopus and Hypocaccus 

 tliere is another character in common to all the species, the 

 anterior tibial denticulations are more or less diaphanous at 

 the tips (fig. 8) ; but the principal character which separates 

 these genera from Saprinus is the transverse head and frontal 

 carina. 



Thomson founded the genus Hypocaccus in 1867 (Skand. 

 Col. ix. p. 400), taking as the type Saprinus A-striatus^ 

 HofFm. His generic characters are : — 



" Frons antice liaea transversa elevata a clypeo discreta. Mau- 

 dibulae angulo inferiore dorsali elevato-marginato. Labram apice 

 triincatum. Tibiae postoriores spinis validis inter deaticulos irn- 

 mixtis, auticse calcari vix discreto. Elytra apice immarginata, 

 stria marginali discreta, vix in epipleuris sita. Prosterni lineae 

 longitudinales antrorsuui conniventes, approsimatae, postice subito 

 divergentes." 



Thomson's genus is a natural one, and the species he assigns 

 to it agree rather with Pachylopus than with either Saprinus 

 or Gtiathoncus. But Thomson's generic character " elytra 

 apice immarginata" must be modified to admit Saprinus 

 apricarius, Er., *S'. consputus, Mars., and others into the genus, 

 in which the sutural stria is continued along the apical 

 margin. By doing this about forty species may be conve- 

 niently placed in Hypocaccus. I believe that Saprinus macu- 

 latuSj semipunctatus, splendens, and others seek their food in 

 carrion and vegetal refuse, and live more or less on the 

 surface of the ground, and in these the prosternum has a flat 

 keel ; while the species of Pachylopus and Hypocaccus burrow 

 in the sand to the depth of some inches, and the shape of the 

 keel, sharpened off anteriorly, must greatly facilitate this 

 action . 



The Saprini may soon require revision ; but I think the 

 best lineal arrangement of the genera now recognized is as 

 follows : — Saprinusj type nttidulus, Payk. ; Chelioxenus, type 

 xerchates, Hubb. ; Gnathoncus, type rotundatus, Kugel ; 

 Saprinodes, type falcifer. Lew. ; Pachylopus, type dispar^ 

 Er. ; Hypocaccus, type 4-striatuSj Hoffm. ; Xenonychus, type 

 tridens, Jacq. Duv. ; and Myrmetes piceus, Payk. 



Through the kindness of Mr. A. M. Lea 1 liave received a 

 series of Australian species ; some of these are from the 

 duplicates of the Macleay Museum and others are from 

 Mr. Lea's own collection. When any reference to tliese is 

 made in the text it is followed by a number which corresponds 

 to one in Mr. Lea's " Note-book."^ 



1* 



