No. 9. — 1856-8.] new ceylon coleoptera, 



43 



in the color — to say nothing of some other minor distinctions. 

 The first three of these peculiarities — too important not to 

 have been noticed by Lacordaire or any other describer of 

 the g. had they been aware of them — add considerably to the 

 characteristics which already constitute this g. one of the 

 most remarkable of the extensive family of the Garabidce* 



The antennae are strong, stiff and short, reaching hardly 

 beyond the base of the thorax : joint 1 is of middling size, 

 2 short, 3-4 are subequal, 5 rather shorter, 6-11 still shorter, 

 subequal: joints 3-11 are strongly compressed and pubescent, 

 but only on the narrow side. The tibiae are strongly bi- 

 calcarated at the apex, the inner spur being longer than the 

 outer one. In all legs these spurs are slightly compressed 

 and serrated along the two narrow sides. Joints 1-4 of the 

 anterior male tarsi, are slightly dilated, the apex of the first, 

 second, and third, being at the same time furnished each with 

 two small white brushes, below fenced in by spines. In the in- 

 termed, tarsi of the male, the apical half of joint 1, and joints 

 2 and 3, are furnished on the inner side with strong brushes 

 of reddish colour, bordered by rows of spines, the entire lower 

 surface forming one thiclc brush, and not two, as in the anterior 

 pair. 



Regarding the habits of these insects, one would feel in- 

 clined to suspect them to be of a semi-aquatic nature, that is, 

 the insects to frequent the banks of rivers, or other damp 

 places ; and I know that some entomologists are under the 

 impression, that their mode of living is that of the g. Omo- 

 phron. However, in my experience, the direct contrary is 

 the case. They live in the driest, hottest, and sandiest places that 

 can be found, where they burrow in the sand, exactly in the man- 

 ner of the well-Tcnovjn g. of the Amaras. I have of late taken 

 considerable numbers of them in the Cinnamon Gardens of 

 Colombo, in holes made by the rooting up of weeds, into 

 which they had run, and could not escape, the loose sand giving 

 under them whenever they attempted to do so. When wishing 

 to find them, I had to search the corners of these holes, where 

 some leaves had usually collected, when I would sometimes 



