A Bevision of the Genus Synthocus. 95 



interrupted at the suture, and the 2nd interval bears an apical row of 

 small tubercles. Legs black, with large patches of grey scaling and 

 short pale setae; tibiae scabrous, the external angle slightly pro- 

 duced; tarsi comparatively long and not very thick. 



Bechuanaland : Lake Ngami {Wahlberg — Stockh. Mus.). Masho- 

 naland: Salisbury (G. A. K. M.). Sudan [Paris Mus. — coll. Fair- 

 maire] . 



Type in the British Museum. 



Nearly allied to truncatus, Boh., and dorsalis, Fahr,, but differs 

 from them both owing to the strong posterior curvature of interval 

 4, which thus conceals the end of interval 6, when viewed from 

 above. It is further distinguished from truncatus by its non- 

 angulate thorax and from dorsalis by having the base of the elytra 

 not broader than the base of the thorax. In the Sudan specimens 

 the lateral carination of interval 6 has quite disappeared. 



4. Synthocus dorsalis, Fahr. 

 S. dorsalis, Fahr., Ofv. K. Vet. Ak. Forh., 1871, p. 198. 



Long. 7-llJ ; lat. 5-8 mm. 



Colour very variable. In perfect specimens the upper surface of 

 the thorax and the plane disk of the elytra are dark crimson, the 

 space between the two costae on the elytra and the upper half of 

 the declivity black, the lower half of the declivity and the inflexed 

 sides of the elytra and thorax with dense greyish white scaling ; but 

 rubbed specimens are often entirely brown. Along the suture is a 

 broad stripe of velvet-black scales reaching from the base to beyond 

 middle, but usually more or less abbreviated ; setae sparse, incon- 

 spicuous. 



Prothorax scarcely longer than broad, sides slightly rounded, 

 shallowly constricted near apex and scarcely narrowed at the base, 

 which is bisinuate ; upper surface slightly convex, rugosely foveolate, 

 especially in the middle, with a shallow central furrow, transversely 

 impressed near apex and with a fovea on each side of the furrow ; 

 dorsal margins almost smooth, the inflexed sides with deep scattered 

 punctures. Elytra suboblong, the basal margin deeply sinuate, 

 broader than the base of the thorax and with the external angles 

 projecting acutely forwards ; the remaining characters are similar to 

 those of truncatus, Boh., except that the costae are usually less 

 tuberculate before the declivity. 



Mashonaland: Sahsbury and Umfuh Kiver (G. A. K. M.), 

 Matokos {E. Head). Matabeleland : Matopos (P. A. Sheppard), 

 Wankies {F. Giese). 



