The Cardbid genus Pheropsophus. 195 



It is not impossible that this may prove to be Erichson's 

 P. arcanus, if that species was described from a discoloured 

 specimen ; but it appears to me more probable that that 

 species, which Chaudoir failed to identify, is the latter s 

 P. guineensis, which agrees better with the characters 

 mentioned by Erichson and Gerstacker. Chaudoir was 

 probably misled by a wrong habitat, as well as his ignor- 

 ance of P. angolensis, Erichs., with which P. arcanus is 

 compared, and which belongs not to the section to which 

 he has referred it, but to the next. 



P. abbreviatus, sp. n. (Plate IX, fig. 5.) 



Apterus, rufo-testaceus, elytris nigris, immaculatis, abdomine 

 fusco ; capite prothoraceque omnino rufo-testaceis, hoc imptinctato, 

 angusto, lateribus bisinuatis basi contractis, angulis posticis acutis ; 

 elytris brevibus, nigris, opacis, a basi ad post medium regulariter 

 arcuate dilatatis, humeris obsoletis, apice oblique truncatis, costis 

 paulo angustis ; corpore subtus cum pedibus testaceis ; abdomine 

 metasternique lateribus piceis. Long. 16 m.m. 



Hab. Angola (Dr. Welwitsch), Forest country, 2000- 

 3000 feet. 



This species belongs to the " obliquatus" section, and 

 closely resembles P. bipartitus, Fairm., but is a trifle less 

 narrow, the eyes are larger and the thorax longer and more 

 sinuated at the sides, its posterior angles being more acute 

 than in any species known to me except the S. American 

 forms. The elytral costse are also less narrow. 



P. halteri, Chaud., has been announced by Mr. Peringuey 

 as a variety of P. fastigiatus, L., upon examination of 

 specimens from Rustenburg (Transvaal). Having ex- 

 amined a considerable number of Pheropsophi from the 

 Transvaal, collected by Mr. W. L. Distant and others, I 

 feel satisfied that Mr. Peringuey has not the true P. 

 halteri, of which all the specimens known to me are from 

 Natal. Although it may very likely occur also in the 

 eastern part of the Transvaal, it appears to be represented 

 in the western part by P. fastigiatus, which is abundant. 

 The specimens I have examined of the latter show hardly 

 any variation, and no trace of the narrow black border to 

 the thorax characteristic of P. halteri. M. Oberthiir has 

 confirmed my opinion as to the specific distinctness of P. 

 halteri from a careful examination of the type in his 

 collection. 



