PtinidcB of the Canary Islands. 211 



surface and coarsely granulated prothorax, as well as by the large 

 and rather conspicuous fascia of paler scales with which the base 

 of its elytra is adorned. It seems peculiar to the two eastern 

 islands, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, and is rather singular in its 

 habits, — occurring usually (in company with the Dignomus gra- 

 cilipes, Notiomimus Jimicola and a beautiful Corytietes') in the dried 

 dung of horses, oxen and camels, in the most arid spots, often in 

 considerable profusion. I have, however, taken it occasionally 

 beneath stones ; under which circumstances it was also found by 

 John Gray, Esq., during our sojourn in Fuerteventura. 



Genus Piotes, nov. gen. (PI. VIII. fig. 8, 9.) 



Corpus mediocre vel sat magnum, elytris rotundato-ovalibus, 

 plus minus squamosum necnon typice pilis rigidis erectis 

 (praesertim ad humeros) vestitum, apterum : oculis parvis, 

 subrotundatis, prominulis : protkorace plus minus 2- vel 4- 

 nodoso-costato, ad basin ipsissimam leviter coarctato : scutello 

 baud observando : elytris connatis, ad basin obsoletissime 

 longitudinaliter subcostatis : metasterno brevi, eequali, postice 

 (inter coxas posticas) facile et leviter arcuato : abdominis seg' 

 mento penultimo vix brevi. Antenncs et instrumenta cibaria 

 (8 a, 8 b, 8 c, 8 d) fere ut in Ptinidis typicis, sed lobro (8 a) 

 apice densius piloso et paulo profundius emarginato et stipitis 

 maxillaris processu (8 c) paulo longiore. Pedes fere ut in 

 Casapo, i. e. crassiusculi, tarsorum posticorura masculorum 

 (8 e) articulo basalari maximo dilatato. 



Ohs. — Genus articulo basalari tarsorum posticorum mas- 

 culorum maximo dilatato, prothorace (necnon eliam elytris 

 obsoletissime) ad basin plus minus setoso-nodoso-costato, 

 Casapo simulans ; sed structura instrumentorum cibariorum 

 [sc. mandibularum, palporum labialium et cset.] cum Ptinidis 

 typicis fere congruit : prseter caetera, corpore minore densius 

 vestito et baud polito, labro magis piloso coxisque posticis 

 paulo distantioribus a Casapo recedit. A genere prsecedenti 

 (^Piaro) Piotes prothorace (et etiam elytris ad basin obsoletis- 

 sime) nodoso-costato (nee aequali), mandibulis acutius den- 

 tatis, processu stipitis maxillaris longiore angustiore, necnon 

 tarsorum posticorura masculorum articulo primo maximo 

 dilatato difFert. 



A TTiorjjc [Ttoe], obesitas. [Typus — P. inconstans.'] 

 In the remarkably enlarged basal joint of its two hinder male- 

 feet, as well as in the more or less evident noduliform costae 



p 2 



