cxxxviii Mr, E. Newman's 



on the suture with the corresponding fascia of the other elytron : placing the insect 

 with its head towards you, these fascia? represent very accurately the zodiacal sign of 

 Aries, a figure which will at once remind the entomologist of one of the markings as 

 well as the name of Clytus Arietis : legs long, with tumid femora, the tumid portion 

 being dark brown, while all other parts of the legs are testaceous: 



Hab. — Van Diemen's Land. Two specimens taken by Dr. Coverdale, near Hobart 

 Town, 'are in the collection of Mr. Colquhoun, of Glasgow, to whose kindness I am 

 indebted for the opportunity of making the species known. 



Edward Newman. 



Art. XXIIT. — Note on the Genus Ametalla, with Characters of three Species supposed 

 to be previously undescribed. By Edward Newman. 



Stirps — Macrocera. 



Natural Order — Crioce rites. 



Genus — Ametalla, Hope. 



The genus Ametalla was first characterised in 1840, by the Rev. F. W. Hope, in 

 the 3rd part of his ' Coleopterist's Manual,' at p. 179 ; is placed by that author in Dr. 

 Leach's family Sagridae ; and is said to " unite in itself the genera Donacia and Sa- 

 gra." The type of the genus is said to be Donacia Spinolae of Hope, and it seems 

 probable that this is a misprint, and that Ametalla Spinolae, the only described species, 

 is intended. Immediately following the description of Ametalla Spinolae is that of 

 another new genus and species, Mecynodera picta, which the author also considers as 

 a link uniting the above-mentioned genera. Lacordaire has added a second species of 

 Ametalla, under the name of A. Stenodera, but this appears to possess the only distin- 

 guishing character of Mecynodera ; and both genera seem to be abundant in species and 

 individuals, and to be restricted in geographical range to New Holland, or at least to 

 the Australian group of Islands. The generic distinction between Ametalla and Me- 

 cynodera is not very apparent, the instrumenta cibaria, described in both instances at 

 considerable length, seem very similar. I subjoin the characters of three species, 

 which have been obligingly handed me by*Mr. S. Stevens for that purpose, and which 

 at present stand unnamed in most cabinets. 



With regard to the true value of the group of Coleoptera, first, I think, separated 

 by Dr. Leach (1824), under the name of Crioceridae, secondly by Latreille (1825), un- 

 der the name of Criocerides, and subsequently by myself (1833), under that of Crioce- 

 rites, some difference of opinion will obtain. Latreille combines them with his tribe 

 Sagrides (Fam. Nat. 403) into a family, Eupoda, and, although he places this family 

 exactly intermediate between his Longicomes and Cyclica, expressly calls attention to 

 their great affinity to the former. " Par les tarses," says he, "les machoires, et la lan- 

 guette, ces insectes ne different point ou presque pas des longicomes ; mais leur corps, 

 quoique oblong, est plus court.'' Other affinities might be shown by a comparison of 

 the structure, food, and economy of the larvae. Dcjean, in his ' Catalogue des Colc- 

 opteres,' a work which (although worse than useless in its mass of MSS. names, never 

 likely to be received as the representatives of things, yet) is a first and noble attempt 



