256 MR. A. MURRAY'S MONOGRAPH OF THE FAMILY OF NITIDULARLE. 
behind; in others it is narrow or scarcely visible. The other dorsal segments are in 
some genera provided with fimbriw; in others they have them either very small or the 
suture between the dorsal and ventral parts of the segments is on the margin. The legs 
are in most species short and strong; the tibiz finely pubescent, rather broad at the 
apex, with strong terminal spines; the feet short. 
The tribe embraces four or five distinct forms, besides intermediate passages, all of 
which may again be broken up into subsections or subgenera. It might almost be a 
question whether the genus Mystrops should not be erected into a tribe or subtribe by 
itself, between the Brachypteride and the Carpophilide, on the strength of its elongate 
antennæ in the males and the absence of antennal grooves; but its affinities with the 
latter tribe seem too great to warrant this. 
The dorsal segments of the abdomen furnish distinguishing characters by which to 
separate them, in the first place, into two pretty equal divisions, the one containing 
Erichson’s genera Mystrops, Carpophilus, and Conotelus, and the other Colastus, Brachy- 
peplus, and Cilleus. In the first of these divisions the abdomen is somewhat convex, 
and the pygidium has the fimbriz narrow and more or less parallel to the margin, and 
often so little visible as to appear absent, as in Carpophilus. In the latter the abdomen 
is flat, and the pygidium has the fimbri broader in front, and curving gradually to the 
posterior margin, as in Colastus. Its absence or presence in the other dorsal segments 
furnishes a character by which to separate the Colasti from the Brachypepli. Other 
distinguishing characters enable any species to be easily referred to one or other of 
these divisions, viz. :— 
Abdomen much depressed and flat. Exposed dorsal portion of abdomen | LATE-FIMBRIATA. 
usually much longer and never shorter than the thorax (about equal in (Colastus, 
Colastus). Fimbrize well marked at least on the pygidium, and, in most Brachypeplus, 
genera, on all the dorsal abdominal segments. ) Cilleus, &c.) 
thorax. Fimbrie either absent or very narrow and subparallel to the (Carpophilus, 
Abdomen slightly convex. Exposed dorsal portion of abdomen shorter than ) ANGUSTE-FIMBRIATA. 
margin. | Conotelus, &c.) 
It matters little in what order these divisions are taken. On the one hand, Mystrops 
and Carpophilus are nearly related to the Brachypteride, and, if we look to their con- 
nexion with them, should come first. On the other, they are (especially through 
Haptoncus) not less nearly related to Epurea, the first genus of the following tribe, and, 
if we look to their relationship with them, should come last. Erichson and Lacordaire have | 
endeavoured to reconcile both affinities by placing Mystrops first, and intercalating the | 
Brachypepli, &e. (Late-fimbriata) between it and Carpophilus. I do not think, however, | 
that Carpophilus should be separated from Mystrops, and I prefer therefore to place both 
together either at the head of the tribe or at the end. Either arrangement secures 
a perfectly natural connexion, and accords with the simple sectional characters which 1 
have given above. To adopt Erichson’s and Lacordaire’s arrangement would require à 
new selection of characters for division, not difficult to find, but more complicated and 
less easily seized than those I have chosen. My first idea was to lead from Brachypterus, 
