Mr. D. Sharp on the Dascillidaj of New Zealand. 41 



White's species, Atopida castanea^ I may remark that I have 

 not described it in mj paper, because all I know about it is, 

 that the specimen of it existing in our national collection is 

 distinct from any of the species I have myself been able to 

 obtain for study ; and that from its facies I judge it will prove 

 to be sufficiently similar in its structure to the species I have 

 called Atopida to allow its being classed with them in a first 

 synthesis. 



Out of these eight groups of New-Zealand species, five, viz. 

 Byrrhodesj Cyprobius, Gyplianus^ Atopida^ and Vero7iatus,Sire 

 connected together by a peculiarity in the srtucture of their 

 head. This peculiarity is the existence of a deep fossa, ex- 

 tending downwards and inwards from the point of insertion of 

 the antenna, and reaching as far as the extreme base of the 

 stipe of the maxilla. This character has not yet been ob- 

 served in any other than these New-Zealand species ; and it 

 naturally binds them together into a group, which may be 

 placed between the Dascilliens and Cyplioniens of Mulsant *. 

 Oyphotelus^ another of the eight groups, is as yet only repre- 

 sented by a single species, which has not, I think, at present 

 any near ally ; it also may be classed between the Dascilliens 

 and Cyphoniens ; but it must not be joined in the same second 

 synthesis with the Atopida allies. A seventh, Mesocyphon^ may 

 perhaps be classed actually with Mulsant' s Cyphoniens ; for 

 though it does not quite agree with the characters he assigns 

 to that group, it is so closely connected with the species of 

 Cyphon which form the remaining New-Zealand group, that 

 I do not think it can be disconnected from them except by an 

 unnatural classification. 



There can be little doubt that, when other localities of 

 New Zealand are carefully examined, the number of species 

 • of the family occurring there will be doubled or trebled. 



The species of Dascillidte now known from all parts of the 

 world are about 230 in number ; and about fifty of these are 

 from the European region, while another fifty are from the 

 North-American province. Very little is known yet of Aus- 

 tralian or Chilian species of the family ; and it is therefore not 

 worth while to attempt to reply at present to the interesting 

 question, which suggests itself, as to what part of the world it 

 is in which the nearest allies of these New-Zealand Dascillidee 

 are found. In fact all of a more general kind than the above 

 considerations that can just now be said with advantage 

 amounts to about this, that New Zealand is probably posi- 

 tively richer in these beetles than either the European or the 



* Hist. Nat. des Col^opteres de France, " Br^vicolles," 1865. 



