454 Mr. Baly's descriptions of 



As may be seen hy the above diagnosis, in this species the 

 black markings on the elytra vary greatly; in the original 

 specimen of Hope (kindly examined for me by Mr. C. O. 

 Waterhonse) the four central s])ots are confluent and form a 

 large quadrate patch on the middle disc of each elytron. 



2. Splienoraia fnlgida, Kedt., HUg. Kaschm. iv, 1848, p. i)b-i 

 {Merista, Cat.). 



Var. A. Corpus metallico purpureum, antennis uigris, elytris 

 viridi- aut cupreo-aiu-eis. 



Var. B. Corpus supra viridi-aureum. 



Vrti-. C. Corpus totum (antennis exceptis) metallico-purpuronm. 



Hab. The Hills of Assam. 



Genus leptartiira, Baly. 

 Whilst engaged in working out the insects of the present 

 collection, I have had occasion to look into the distinctive 

 characters separating Dr. Chapuis' genus Mcrisfa, from Lep- 

 tartiira. The two groups agree so closely, both in habit and 

 other essential points, that the armature of the claws, on Avhich 

 Dr. Chapuis has alone divided them, must as in Corynodes, be 

 considered of secondary importance ; in any case my original 

 definition " unguiculis unidentatis " will agree better with the 

 species placed by Chapuis in Merista than with that left liy him 

 in the older genus. Leptarthra as thus extended forms a very 

 natural genus, the species of which are separable as shewn l)el()w, 

 into two good sections. 



Section I. (3/erista, Chapuis). 

 Unguicv.Ii bifidi, dente interno breviori. 

 L. trifasciata, Hope {Haplosonyx v. Har. Cat.)* 

 ,, quadrifasciata, Hope. 

 ,, intermpta, Redt. 

 ,, sexmacidata, Redt. 

 „ fraternalis, Baly. 

 „ Dohrni, Baly. 



* L. tr[fa>iclafa, Hope, is very nearly .allied to L (piady'ifaKcUiia. 

 Hope, it "may be known by the narrower, smootli and inimacnhito 

 thorax, by the more strongly produced anterior angles of the latter 

 and by the more finely punctm'cd elytra. 



