96 LAMELLICOBNIA. 



examined of A. crihrithorax there are some which nearly bridge over the difference 

 between it and A. strigatus and A. liogaster. 



I have adopted the name given to the species in the Salle collection. 



4. Ataenius strigicauda. (Tab. VI. fig. 24.) 



?Atcenius stercorator, Harold, Berl. ent. Zeitsclir. 1867, p. .281; Col. Hefte, xiii. p. 70 (nee Fabr.). 

 Eab. Mexico, Cordova, Tuxtla {Salle), Jalapa (Edge) ; Guatemala, Paso Antonio 

 {Champion); Nicaragua, Chontales (Belt, Janson) ; Panama (M'Leannanj.—Sowm 

 Brazil; Amazons (Bates); Antilles, St. Thomas. 



The examples from the above-named localities, which I have examined and found 

 closely to agree, appear to be referable to Von Harold's A. stercorator, which unfor- 

 tunately is totally different from the Fabrician species, as proved by the type still in 

 fair preservation in the Banksian collection at the British Museum. The present 

 species was carefully and well described by Von Harold, with the exception, if I am not 

 mistaken, that he overlooked the fine striae on the sides of the elytral interstices near 

 the apex ; these striae exist in all the specimens I have examined, and present a feature 

 of some interest, as they are further developed in a series of allied species, and thus 

 display in an incipient form an important group character. In all its other characters the 

 species scarcely differs, except in its greater size, from the male of our A. cribrithorax. 



A.' stercorator (Fabr.) belongs to the same wider group as A. strigicauda (thorax 

 margined at the base and clypeus rounded on each side of the anterior sinuation) ; it is 

 a species of about the same size (6 millim.) and shape, but it is of a dull sooty-black 

 colour, with the thorax closely and evenly punctured throughout, and the elytra not 

 crenate-striate but sharply sulcated with an elegant catenulate-punctuation in the 

 bottom of the furrows and the interstices convex, almost culminated. A remarkable 

 distinguishing character of the species is a series of tubercles or denticulations at regular 

 intervals on the inner side of the four hind tibiae. Besides the Fabrician type captured 

 by Sir Joseph Banks at Rio Janeiro on Cook's first voyage, the British Museum possesses 

 a second example taken by Darwin in the same locality, during the voyage of the 

 ' Beagle.' I have seen other examples from Rio Janeiro in Mr. A. Fry's rich collection. 



We figure an example of A. strigicauda from Cordova. 



5. Atsenius scutellaris. 



Atcenius scutellaris, Harold, Col. Hefte, i. p. 8.2 l ; Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg. xix., Compt. Rend. p. xcvi s . 

 ? Euparia air anient aria, Erichs. Archiv fur Naturg. 1847, i. p. 110. 



Sal. Mexico, Ventanas, Chilpancingo, Acapulco, Tapachula (Edge); British 

 Honduras (Blancaneaux) ; Guatemala, San Geronimo (Champion); Nicaragua, 

 Chontales (Janson). — South America, Colombia, Venezuela 2 ; West Indies 2 . 



Similar in general form and size to A. strigicauda ; the thorax rather more closely and 



