Coleopterological Notices, VII. 683 



the genus Anthicus has been divided into some sixteen named 

 subgeneric groups, based solely upon such subsidiary characters 

 as size of the body and form of the prothorax. I am unable to 

 state the true value of these names, because the anatomical struc- 

 ture of the pro- and niesosterna is unknown to me, but in one 

 case it seems that the name proposed by Mr. Pic chances to hare 

 for one of its types the identical species assumed by me for the 

 type of Hemantus. Mr. Pic's name " Trapezicomus " for Anthicus 

 Jioralis will however also possibly' have to give way to " Omona- 

 dus," proposed by Mulsant many years before (Nat. Hist. Col. 

 Fr., Colligeres, 1866, p. 104). It is also possible, however, that 

 neither of these names will have to supplant Hemantus, for under 

 Trapezicomus Mr. Pic, in addition to Jioralis, groups also rufives- 

 tis, beloni and bedeli of Algeria, the first two of which possibl}^ 

 and the last probably will be found to be generically different 

 trovQ. Jioralis when the form of the mesosternum is investigated, 

 and, under the name Omonadus, Mulsant includes also bijasciatus, 

 based simply upon the form of the prothorax, truncate head and 

 position of the eyes ; as these are the same in both Jioralis and 

 bijasciatus it matters not which we take for the generic type, and 

 the name Omonadus can therefore be assumed to apply to bijas- 

 ciatus, a species which a study of the mesosternum will probably 

 prove to differ generically from. Jioralis. 



Mr. Pic regards hasiliaris Say, as the species allied to Jioralis 

 but without the thoracic tubercle, but we cannot absolutely as- 

 sume this, in view of the general vagueness of Say's descriptions ; 

 Say may just as likelj^ have overlooked the very minute tubercle 

 or regarded it as spurious, and, as I believe there are several 

 forms allied to Jioralis but devoid of tubercle, it would simplify 

 the case to assume that the basillaris of Say, is identical with 

 Jioralis. It was with this object in view that I gave the synon3'm_y 

 of Jioralis (Col. Not. VI, p. 683). 



When the really important anatomical characters of the Euro- 

 pean species can be studied, several of the names proposed by 

 Mulsant and Pic will be found to stand for distinct genera, but 

 the rest must fall into synonymy. I cannot find that ajiy of the 

 American genera are identical with those of Europe with the ex- 

 ception of Hemantus. 



