PHYTALUS. 177 



with Blan chard's description and is a male. This specimen has the clypeus rather 

 small and nearly semicircular, without the usual sinuation of the front margin. The 

 secondary sexual characters are as follows : — 



c? . Pygidium parum convexum, nitidum, pilosum, irregulariter annulato-punctatum. Venter medio late 

 canaliculatus, xiitidus, sparsim setosus, segmento 6° transversim concavo. Tibiarum posticarum calcaria 

 elongata, libera. 



The tarsal claws are, as Blanchard states, short and curved. The lower tooth is very 

 broad and curved, and the basal stem of the claw is short and broad without the usual 

 tooth-like dilatation. I leave the species in the present genus with reserve. 



It differs little in the form of the claws from Lachnosterna testaceipennis. 



6. Phytalus (?) ? 



Hab. Mexico, Ventanas in Durango (Edge). 



A female example of a species certainly allied to P. pubicollis, but with the lower 

 tooth of the claws much curved and deflexed, and consequently not strictly belonging 

 to the genus. 



7. Phytalus cometes. (Tab. X. fig. 8, e .) 



Elongato-ovatus, robustus, rufescenti-fuscus, pilis incumbentibus fulvis densissime vestitus, elytris prope 

 marginem et suturam setifero-porosis ; clypeo transverso, antice late rotundato medio sirmato, margine 

 reflexo, supra dense punctato, fronte conflnenter punctata, sutura baud perspicua ; thorace elytrisque 

 dense regulariter punctulatis, illo angulis posticis fere rectis ; pectore, femoribus et coxis fulvo-birsutis. 



c? . Pygidium convexum, alutaceum, apice interdum nitidum, uinbibcato-punctulatum, margine apicali acuto, 

 refleso. Venter longitudinaliter depressus, breviter pilosus, segmento 5° apice medio late sinuato, 6° 

 medio transversim concavo. Tibiarum posticarum calcaria elongata, gracilia, libera. Ungues omnes basi 

 triangulariter dentati, apice profunde sed anguste fissi, dente inferiore latiore sed baud breviore, paullo 

 deflexo. Antennarum clava elongata, articulis 2°-7 m conjunctis longior, 7° intus valde producto acuto. 



Long. 21-24 millim. 



Hab. Nicaeagua, Chontales (Belt, Janson) ; Panama, Chiriqui (coll. Bates). 



Four examples, all males. 



This species is the analogue (in Phytalus) of the L. erenulata group of Lachnosterna 

 (Leconte's Group XII.) ; the totally different form of clypeus and other characters, 

 besides the generic difference in the claws, forbid the supposition of a real affinity. 



A Chontales specimen is figured. 



b. Lower tooth of the claws not much shorter than the upper ; lower spur of 



the hind tibice connate. 



8. Phytalus pruinosus. 



Phytalus pruinosus, Blanch. Cat. Coll. Ent. i. p. 131 1 ; Burm. Handb. der Ent. iv. 2, p. 349 2 . 

 Hab. Mexico x 2 , Cordova (Salle), Jalapa (Hoge). 



I have seen very few examples of this insect, which is liable to be confounded with 

 biol. cente.-amek., Coleopt., Vol. II. Pt. 2, February 1888. 2 AA 



