THREE NEW SPECIES OF INDIAN RHYNCHOTA. 195 



data, but which agree very closely mdeed with hritomartis, 

 showing that Lang was of opinion that this form was only one 

 of dictynna. Tutt has also expressed a similar opinion as to 

 hritomartis. 



I cite this, since Mr. Wheeler's datum seems to be that the 

 proof that hritomartis was a good species was so strong that 

 nobody could possibly be of a contrary opinion ; and that when 

 I cited the last straw as determining my views, I was making it 

 outweigh the whole of the rest of the load, instead of merely 

 adding a trifle to it. 



On the general question on which I am held up to censure, 

 my position has always been that the male armature presents 

 useful characters, just as any other part of the insect does, and 

 that these characters are to be valued at neither more nor less 

 than any others. They have the advantage of being those of 

 hard chitinous parts, with none of the indecision of wing 

 markings and colours. They often present decisive characters 

 when others fail; they also fail sometimes where other characters 

 leave us in no doubt. The only ground on which they appear 

 to claim superior value is that they are often the last referred 

 to, and seem therefore to be regarded as decisive in a way that 

 would not at all occur had they been taken into account at first 

 instead of last. 



Betnia, Reigate. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THREE NEW SPECIES 

 INDIAN RHYNCHOTA. 



By W. L. Distant. \0[ \ , 



HETEROPTERA. 

 Fam. PENTATOMID^. 

 Subfam. ASOPIN.E. 

 Anasida orientalis, sp. n. 

 Black ; ii central castaneous spot on basal margin of head ; heatl 

 rugosely punctate, about two-thirds the length of pronotum, lobes of 

 equal length, lateral margins moderately concavely sinuate, ocelli 

 reddish, the basal area less rugosely punctate than the anterior area ; 

 antennffi sHghtly pilose, with the first joint short, not reaching apex 

 of head, second shorter than either third or fourth, which are subequal 

 in length, fifth scarcely shorter than fourth ; pronotum rugosely punc- 

 tate, the lateral margins remotely crenulate and somewhat strongly 

 sinuate, the posterior lateral angles prominent and inwardly longi- 

 tudinally depressed, before anterior margin two transverse obscurely 

 opaque shghtly punctate cicatrices ; scutellum transversely rugosely 

 punctate ; the apex truncately rounded ; corium opaque, finely punc- 

 tate, the costal area more coarsely and thickly punctate ; membrane 

 moderately passing the abdominal apex ; rostrum reaching the inter- 



