916 MR. G. A. K. MARSHALL ON [Dec. 11, 



subhumeral tubercle and rounded posteriorly; upper surface with 

 shallow strite containing large punctures which ai-e partially 

 hidden by the scaling, the intervals jjlane, smooth and impunctate. 

 Legs normal, I'ather stout ; anterior tibias a little thicker and more 

 curved internally in the J than in the $ . 



Cape Colony : Port Alfred {Father O'Neil). 



Types, S $ in the British Museum. 



The sexual differences are slight, being confined to the anterior 

 tibife and the slightly greater convexity of the elytra in the 5 ; 

 there appears to be no difference in the development of the 

 humeral tubercle. 



Platycopes tuberculatus, sp. nov. 



Long. 5i, lat. 3f mm. 



Colour bla.ck, with earth-brown scaling. 



Head very short, nearly three times as broad as long, flattened 

 and longitudinally laigose. Rostrum separated from head by 

 a straight ti-ansverse impression, subquadrate, but i-ather nar- 

 rower apically, the lateral carin^e obtuse but continued to base. 

 Antennce with the scape strongly dilated, its anterior margin 

 only slightly curved, its posterior margin simply rounded ; tiae 

 funicle with joints 1 and 2, and also 6 and 7, subequal. Prothorax 

 transverse, its length greater than half its breadth, bi'oadest close 

 to base, much narrower (but scarcely constricted) at apex, sides 

 slightly rounded ; upper surface convex, uneven, rugose and with 

 a few indistinct tubercles. Elytra as broad as the prothorax and 

 jointly sinuate at base, sub-orbicular, the sides obliquely ampliated 

 from base to the sub-humeral tubercle, which is prominent ; upper 

 sui'face convex, with a single regular juxta-sutural row of punc- 

 tures, the remainder of the surface with large irregular punctures ; 

 each elytron with three rows of large rounded tubercles, the rows 

 containing 5 (or 6), 4 and 4 tubercles respectively from the suture 

 outwards, and in addition a small common tubercle on the suture 

 not far from the base. Legs comparatively slender, the tibia? 

 sub-linear but all produced inwardly at the apex. 



Transvaal {T. Ayres). 



Type in the British Museum. 



In the British Museum (Fry Collection) there is a sei'ies of 

 eight specimens of this very distinct species, and I have received 

 a single example from m}' friend Dr. W. Horn. 



Schonherr was clearly unacquainted with the marked sexual 

 differences which occur in the genus Platycopes, for most of the 

 distinctive characters which Boheman specially emphasises have 

 merely a sexual significance. 



The following synopsis of the known species may therefore 

 facilitate identification : — 



1. (20.) 



2. (15.) 



3. (1) 



4. (3.) 



5. (6.) 



Klytra not tviberculate, but with regular punctured strise. 



Bodj' with gre.y or brown scaling. 



Head with a prominent supra-ocular tubercle . F. gravidas Pasc. 



Head without any supra-ocular tubercle. 



Prothorax more raised dorsally in front P. spathulatus Gyl. 



