BYRRHIDiE. — SYNCALYPTA. 133 



Genus CLXXVII. — Syncalypta, Dillwyn. 



Antenna? shorter than the thorax, the two basal joints stout, rather elongate, 

 subcylindric, the six following more slender, gradually increasing in diameter, 

 and terminating abruptly in an ovate triarticulate club, the apical joint of 

 which is very large truncate. Palpi very short : head small, deflexed : thorax 

 short, sinuated posteriorly : elytra ovate, entire, distinctly striated : body 

 very convex, the upper surface furnished with rigid erect capitate setae, which 

 are disposed in lines on the elytra ; the breast and abdomen also slightly setose: 

 scutellum minute, triangular : femora compressed, ciliated ; tibial more or less 

 compressed and slightly bent, in some species ciliated externally: tarsi 

 elongated, rather slender. 



The rigid erect capitate setse with which the upper surface of 

 the Syncalyptse is furnished, combined with their striated elytra, 

 abruptly clavate antennae, and minute size, not only distinguish 

 them from Nosodendron, but, the latter character excepted, from 

 the other genera of this family : — the species are usually found in 

 sandy or chalky situations; but their food and habits, I believe, 

 remain unknown. 



Sp. 1. arenaria. Subglobosa, nigra, setis albidis ornatis, elytris substriatis. 



(Long. corp. | — f lin.) 

 Byrrhus arenarius. Sturm. Genus clxxiv arenarius. Steph. Catal. 99. No. 



1040. 



Black, slightly glossy, elytra faintly striate, the striae simple ; the thorax and 

 elytra clothed with short rigid erect whitish capitate setae, somewhat regularly 

 placed on the latter : the body beneath and legs also black. 



Found occasionally in chalk and sand pits within the metro- 

 politan district, but not common. " Not unfrequently found about 

 the roots of moss on Crwmlyn Burrows." — L. W. Dillwyn, Esq. 

 " Norfolk." — Dr. Leach. 



Sp. 2. cretifera. Subglobosa, atra, setosa, elytris sublaevibus. (Long. corp. | 



lin.) 

 Genus clxxiv cretiferus. Steph. Catal. 99. No. 1041. 



Black, subglobose, slightly glossy; the surface adorned with distant erect white 



setae, the elytra nearly smooth. 

 The nearly smooth elytra of this insect, and its smaller size, appear the chief 



points of distinction between it and the preceding, of which I suspect it to 



be a mere variety. 



In September, 1821, I found several specimens in a small 

 chalk-pit at Little Blakenham in Suffolk, the locality indicated 



