Ceylon Coleoptera, Sfc. 29 



which forms the family of the Georyssi, also hitherto supposed 

 to be apterous ; at present I am about to announce to some 

 and to confirm to others the existence of these organs in the 

 family of the Scydmamidas, a fact, although incomplete, of 

 more importance than either of the former, considering the 

 extent of the family and the difference of opinion, which ap- 

 pears to exist on the subject amongst the most eminent En- 

 tomological authorities. It is this importance which induces 

 me to enter more fully on the subject. 



I am not acquainted with the famous monograph of the 

 family of the Scydmaanidaa by Dr. Schaum ; however, from the 

 manner in which it is quoted by Lacordaire, in his g. d. Col. 

 I should infer that these two celebrated authors agree in all 

 the vital points. In Lacordaire's diagnosis of the family, 

 these insects are described as having (with the exception of 

 the American g. Brathinus, of which Lacordaire is not quite 

 sure that it belongs to the family) the elytra soldered together 

 and being destitute of wings. Now, it is scarcely credible 

 that on a point so easily ascertained as this, any difference of 

 opinion should exist, still Westwood in his Modern Classifica- 

 tion of Insects, in describing the same family, makes state- 

 ments which imply the contrary. However, Lacordaire's 

 description, being by 15 years more, in fact, the most recent, 

 is, from this reason alone, entitled to be considered before all 

 others ; and looking upon it in this light, that is, as the essence 

 of all former observations, I shall, for the present, occupy 

 myself with it alone. According to this description, as men- 

 tioned above, the insects which it regards have the elytra sol- 

 dered together, and are destitute of wings. This being the case, 

 I was startled to find that, out of the 13 species described 

 below, 9 or 10 which I examined in this respect, had neither 

 the elytra soldered, nor were they destitute of wings — on the 

 contrary the elytra were unconnected in the middle, and the icings 

 were nearly double the size of the ivhole insect and could not pos- 



