ON A NEW SPECIES OF CERAPTERUS. 



The addition of a new species to so rare a genus as Cerapterus will confer entomological 

 fame on Dr. Smith's expedition. The genus Cerapterus is so little understood by entomolo- 

 gists, that ere I describe this new species I conceive myself called upon to make a few remarks 

 on the groupe, particularly as those hitherto made have either been extremely inaccurate, or 

 have been accompanied by bad figures. 



The genus Cerapterus was founded by Swederus fifty years ago, and the insects having 

 immediate reference to it remain to this day of the utmost rarity ; so much so, indeed, that 

 I believe there is no specimen in any Continental Museum. There are only five specimens 

 in England, and each of these belongs to a distinct species. Of these five specimens, three 

 are in my collection, one in that of the East India Company, and one in that of Mr. John 

 Curtis. Having the first four species now on the table before me, I consider myself enabled 

 to distinguish the species accurately ; and I shall take the opportunity of stating some 

 interesting particulars observed by my brother, Mr. George MacLeay, in New South Wales, 

 which agree with the observations made by M. Verreaux on the economy of the Paussidce in 

 general,— a family of which he has brought home a very extensive collection. 



Being in possession of a fine series of undescribed Paussidce, and finding some very 

 curious forms among them, I shall probably hereafter treat of the family at large in some other 

 work. My object for the present must be confined to a satisfactory description of Dr. Smith's 

 new species. I shall therefore in this place merely remark, that if we watch that chain of 

 affinity which is most visible in the family of Paussidce, some genera that are usually included 

 in it will seem, so far as we are acquainted with the groupe, to be more properly excluded. 

 For instance, beginning with the true genus Paussus, we pass, by an easy transition, to the 

 groupe called Platyrhopalus by Mr. Westwood, and to that interesting insect Platyrhopalus 

 3Iellyi, which appears to be the type of a new sub-genus leading us on directly to Cerap- 

 terus latipes of Swederus ; and by the New Holland form of Cerapterus which I call Arthrop- 

 terus, we pass to Pentaplatartlirus, from which we return to Paussus. Now, as this returning 

 into itself is the essential characteristic of a natural groupe, it follows that the genus Hijlo- 

 torus of Dalman, as well as the Trochoideus of Westwood, are osculant groupes, leading off 

 from the Paussidce, since if inserted in the above circular series, they appear to interrupt it. 

 If indeed Dalman's name Hylotorus be correctly applied, this insect cannot enter into the 

 groupe of true Paussidce, which, according to the observations of M. Verreaux, never attack 

 wood. As to the genus Trochoideus, which, by the way, is strangely named ; for the insects 

 are as like to Hercules as to a wheel ; it certainly leads off to the parasitical Myrmecoxenus of 



