552 Transactions South African Pliilosoiohical Society, [vol xii. 



Natal. I am not aware of it having been found in, or recorded 

 from, the East Coast of Africa. 



Gen. SYEICHTHUS, Hope, 

 The Coleopt. Manual, 1837, i., p. 91, pi. xi., fig. 8. 



Mentum sub-parallel laterally, carinate in the middle in the 

 anterior part, impressed longitudinally on each side and transversely 

 impressed at tip under the ligular part which is narrower than the 

 mentum, rounded laterally and broadly emarginate at tip ; the 

 mentum is not always sub-parallel laterally, being a little attenuate 

 from the median towards the apical part, but this seldom occurs ; 

 the insertion of the labial palpi is at the back of the mentum, last 

 joint of maxillary and labial palpi moderately long, sub-cylindrical 

 and sub-truncate at tip ; apical lobe of maxillse straight, not hol- 

 lowed, sharply dentate at tip, the tooth being at right angles, in the 

 median part there is a similar tooth, and at the base a transverse 

 trifid one ; mandibles triangular, greatly diverging, slightly reflexed 

 at tip, and projecting much sub-laterally beyond the short clypeus 

 which is sinuate laterally, broadly triangular and with the median 

 part not projecting much, and bearing in the male a short, recurved 

 tooth, and a sharp, conical tubercle in the female ; club of antennae 

 sub-reniform, as long as the six intermediate joints which are very 

 closely set ; prothorax moderately convex, rounded laterally, mar- 

 ginate all round except in the centre of the base ; scutellum ogival ; 

 elytra sub-parallel, rounded behind, convex, deeply punctured and 

 slightly striate ; propygidium striate transversely at middle, densely 

 pubescent ; pygidium convex in the male and transversely so in 

 the upper part in the female ; last abdominal segment moderately 

 broad and emarginate in the male, very broad and entire in the 

 female, metasternum not broad, intercoxal basal process of pro- 

 sternum triangular at tip; anterior tibiae strongly tri-dentate out- 

 wardly, intermediate and posterior tibiae fringed with stiff cilite at 

 apex, but not tri-dentate, the transverse carina are also non-dentate ; 

 anterior tarsi of male a little thickened, penultimate joint projecting 

 triangularly below the apical one which is very long and strongly 

 •curved ; the inner claw is twice as long as the outer, broad, com- 

 pressed and curved downwards. 



The only species included in this genus is found, with its larva, in 

 the old heaps of faeces brought outside its nest by the white ant 

 Hodotcrmcs havilandi, Sharp. 



