No. 9 — 1856-8.] new cbylon coleoptera. 



47 



to which of these two tribes to refer it as, although it partakes 

 of the characteristics of either, it is at the same time distinct 

 from both. Distinguished in several respects, its most extra- 

 ordinary character lies in the curious shape of the mentum. 

 This is, however, easily described as large, of the shape of a 

 horseshoe with a long, thin, very pointed tooth in the middle, 

 the apical half of the sides (lobes) being at the same time 

 gently dilated, the apex itself being obliquely cut away from 

 the outer towards the inner side — the inner angle being the 

 most advanced, and slightly dentated at the edge thus formed. 

 Or it may also be described as a fork with the outer teeth 

 somewhat enlarged, truncated at the apex and so forth. The 

 other parts of the mouth have not much to distinguish them, 

 with the exception, however, of the labrum which attains a very 

 extraordinary degree of development, occupying rather more 

 than one third of the whole head, although the latter itself is large 

 and heavy. It is of a suborbicular shape, very slightly pro- 

 duced in front into an obtuse angle, is vaulted, covers the 

 mandibles, has two longitudinal impressions at the sides of the 

 base and is highly polished. The head has two impressions in 

 front of the eyes, is densely punctured and thinly pubescent, 

 it is strongly but gradually contracted behind the eyes and 

 formed into a short neck. The antennsa are strong and reach 

 a little beyond the shoulders, joints 1, 3 and 11, are of about 

 equal length, middling, the former two subcylindric; joint 2 is 

 small, rounded, 4-10 sub-equal and with 11 oval. The 

 thorax is small, only half as large as the head, rather narrower, 

 strongly transverse, nearly twice as broad as long, slightly 

 emarginated in front, the anterior angles rounded, contracted 

 below the middle, subquadratic and prolonged at the base, 

 posterior angles depressed, longitudinally divided by a deep 

 furrow. The elytra are striated, and, as the thorax densely 

 punctured and thinly pubescent. The legs are strong, simple, 

 and subequal, the anterior tibiae are deeply notched, the first 

 joint of the tarsi is as long as the two succeeding ones together, 

 subcylindric, the second triangular, the third of a similar but 

 more transverse form, smaller ; all three have the apical angles 



