1896.] of the Coleojytera of South Africa. 419 



Gen. PACHYTEACHELUS, Chaud., 



Bull. Mosc, 1852, i., p. 85. 



Batoscelis, Lacord., 



Gen. Col., i., 1854, p. 261 ; Schm. Goeb., Col. Birm., pi. 2, fig. 8. 



Mentura emarginate, the emargination crescent-shaped, and with 

 no median tooth ; ligula narrow, elongate, truncate, and with two long 

 setae at the tip ; paraglossae as broad as the ligula, disunited from the 

 ligula at a certain distance from the tip and curving inwards towards 

 the ligula, which is very slightly shorter ; maxillae long, subfalcate, 

 and very densely ciliate from the base to two-thirds of the length ; 

 ciliae very long ; palpi slender, the last joint of both labial, and 

 maxillary subovate and acuminate ; antennae short, subfractate, the 

 basal joint long, the second very short, the third a little shorter than 

 the basal one, and all three glabrous, the other joints closely set, 

 short and submoniliform ; right mandible overlapping the left ; head 

 with a distinct horizontal carina from the anterior part of the eye to 

 the base of the labrum, which is as broad as long and truncate, one 

 supra-orbital seta ; prothorax long, nearly straight laterally, convex 

 and truncate at base and apex ; elytra twice as long as the prothorax, 

 subcylindrical, striate ; third interval with a puncture above the 

 posterior declivity ; anterior tarsi dilated towards the apex, deeply 

 incised internally with two long inner spurs, deeply sinuate externally 

 with one very short slender tooth above the sinuation and two at the 

 apex ; intermediate tibiae spinulose outwardly ; tarsi narrow, subcor- 

 diform, not squamulose underneath. 



The diagnosis of this genus is given by Lacordaire from the 

 details of the excellent figure by Schmidt Goebel in his unfinished 

 work, ' Faunula Coleopterorum Birmaniae,' of an unpublished 

 species. In the South African species there is no median tooth in 

 the mentum, and the anterior tarsi have only one spinule instead of 

 two above the lateral sinuation. While the short, subgeniculate 

 antennae with submoniliform joints, the dilatation of the anterior 

 tibiae with external spinules, the anteocular laminae, the mode of 

 insertion of the antennae, as well as the cylindrical facies, approxi- 

 mate this genus to the Clivina, of the tribe Scaritides, the shape of 

 the mentum and ligula, the one supra-ocular seta instead of two, and 

 one lateral seta on the prothorax instead of two lateral punctures are 

 truly characteristic of the Harpalides. 



This is a clear demonstration of what an adaptation to a special 

 mode of life may have led to the modifications in the structure of 

 certain organs. 



One species is recorded from Ceylon, and three from Eastern 

 India. 



