pt 
Horn.] 536 [April 19, 
in an attempted linear arrangement of genera they will be equally out of 
place. 
There is very little to be added to the generalities of the family beyond 
what Lacordaire and Duval have given, several characters of limited occur- 
rence remain to be noticed. The position of the antennz varies in the 
different genera. In Corticus, Rhagodera and their allies the antenne are 
for this family very distant from the eyes, and under a rather wide frontal 
margin. In the following tribes the antenne gradually approach the eyes 
so as to be nearly in contact with them, the frontal margin disappears, 
finally the sides of the front are acutely notched and the antennz become 
frontal in their insertion. It seems not to have been observed that the an- 
terior coxee are open behind in a large number of genera; this seems to 
me a character of considerable importance and considerable use has been 
made of it in the following pages. The ventral segments are said to be 
fixed and immovable, except the last two; this also needs correction for a 
large number of genera. 
The anterior and posterior coxe are always small and globular, the 
former in several genera contiguous, the latter always separated although 
at times narrowly. The posterior coxe vary from transverse to oval or 
round, and are never contiguous although at times narrowly separated, 
often very widely distant. 
Erichson and those who follow him use the supposed greater length of 
the first ventral segment as a means of separating the Colydiides from the 
Sgnehitides. Very little observation will convince any one that this char- 
acter has in the first place no such value and it moreover does not exist 
where it should, and I have been greatly surprised at finding the actual 
condition of the posterior coxe and first ventral segment of Corticus tauri- 
cus, Which should by Erichson’s system be a Bothrideride. 
In studying Discoloma Fryi and Hyberis n. sp.* I noticed a structure of 
the under surface of the body which is entirely at variance with the present 
family and rather anomalous among Coleoptera. In all the genera of 
CoLybimp& the posterior coxze are closed externally in part by the meta- 
sternal side pieces, sometimes the latter are curved inwards at the posterior 
end to meet the coxee, but in the two genera above mentioned the posterior 
cox are exceptionally small and their cavities are excavated in the pos- 
terior edge of the metasternum and anterior edge of the first ventral seg- 
ment, so that the cox are completely surrounded and the metasternal 
side pieces are distant from the outer edge of the coxe, the suture in Dis- 
coloma being obliterated. This structure with the three-jointed tarsi 
«The Hyberis here mentioned is one given by Mr. Fry to Dr. LeConte labeled 
Cape of Good Hope. It isa black opaque species, of the general form ofa Coc- 
cinella, surface roughly punctured and sparsely clothed with grayish pubescence, 
the elytral margin with small spots of black pubescence. The thorax has on 
each side an arcuate elevated line parallel with but distant from the margin. 
The abdomen is somewhat injured but there are five distinct segments; all are 
distinctly movable and there appears to be a sizth ventral segment pushed by 
some accident within the abdomen. To this I would call the attention of those 
possessing good specimens. 
