328 Transactions South African Philosophical Society, [vol. xiii. 



rounded; antennal club shorter than the whole pedicel in both sexes; 

 prothorax diagonally narrowed laterally from a third of the length to 

 the apical part, straight behind with the outer angles of the base 

 broadly rounded, the latter is very little wider than the anterior part, 

 and not sinuate ; scutellum very long and very sharply acuminate ; 

 elytra considerably wider at the base than the prothorax, and with 

 the metathoracic epimera bulging out most conspicuously in both 

 sexes, the outer margin is plainly sinuate above the hind coxae 

 which are standing out conspicuously in both sexes ; the pro- 

 pygidium is very wide, the basal part alone is covered by the elytra, 

 and the apical edge overhangs the triangular pygidium; the abdomen 

 is somewhat compressed laterally owing to the great development 

 of the hind thighs, and this is especially the case in the $ , but it is 

 also noticeable in the ? ; the four anterior legs are moderately 

 slender, the fore tibiae tri-dentate with the apical tooth situated at a 

 great distance from the second and third ; the intermediate and hind 

 tibiae have a plain tooth on the upper edge ; the outer terminal part 

 of the intermediate is produced into a bi-dentate process and the 

 lower spur into a long mucro-like spine in both sexes ; the hind 

 thighs are very swollen in both sexes, especially in the $ the hind 

 tibiae of which are ending in a strongly curved, massive mucro, only 

 one-third shorter than the whole tibia, and the two apical spurs are 

 very long ; in the ? the inner apical angle of the hind tibiae is some- 

 what developed, but not mucronate, and the spurs are compressed 

 and blunted at apex. 



This genus includes one species which is one of the most singular 

 among South African Cetoninae. I suspected it to be termitobious, 

 and Dr. Hans Brauns has ascertained it to be the case. 



The genus would seem to be purely South African, and to belong 

 to the Karrooid fauna. 



Xiphoscelis gaeiepina, $ , Gory and Perch., 

 Monogr. Cet., 1833, p. 262, nee pi. 50, fig. 3; 

 Lacord. Gener. Coleopt. Atlas, pi. 38, fig. 3, $ . 

 schuckardi, g , Burm., Handb. d. Entom., hi., p. 614. 



Black, with a faint tinge of piceous ; antennae piceous, legs 

 reddish brown ; head and clypeus covered with rough punctures, 

 the latter is a little pubescent, and the pubescence is black ; ocular 

 canthus hairy ; prothorax covered with broad, cicatricose punctures 

 bearing each a black hair, the outer margin has a fringe of longer 

 hairs ; scutellum very long and very sharp at tip, sub-carinate 

 longitudinally in the centre ; elytra almost half as broad again at the 



