April — june, 1857.] Descriptions of new Ceylon Coleoptera. 51 



however, the prominent eyes, cordate thorax — to say nothing of 

 its habitat — remind one very soon of its real connexions, I do not 

 think there can be any doubt that this insect forms a new and in- 

 teresting addition to the Bembidiid^. In fact the question, whether 

 it belongs to this tribe or not depends, in my opinion, mainly upon 

 the inferences drawn from the structure of the terminal joint of 

 the palpi. It is true that this joint attains in Ochthephilus a degree 

 of development unequalled amongst the Bembidiidje ; as, however, 

 this development is not confined to the one particular joint allud- 

 ed to, but affects the entire organ of which it forms a part, it can 

 hardly be said to be a variation of much importance ; and as, more- 

 over, the general shape (independently of the elongation) and mode 

 of insertion are the same as in the typical Bembidiidje I have 

 not hesitated to refer my n. g. to this tribe. 



The head is as broad as the thorax and altogether of about the 

 same size, it is strongly triangular from the eyes to the tip of the 

 mandibles, the forehead is impressed with 2 deep longitudinal fur- 

 rows, the eyes are large, rather oval and prominent, behind them 

 the head is abruptly contracted into a thick neck. The antennae 

 are long and thick reaching nearly to the middle of the body, 

 joints 1 and 11, 2 4 5-10 are subequal amongst themselves, 5-11 

 oval, 1-4 subcylindric. The labrum is small, rather triangular be- 

 ing narrowed at its base, it is emarginated in front with a slight 

 angle in the middle emargination. The mandibles are long, 

 straight triangular, bent at the tip only, dentated below the middle 

 the one more so than the other. The maxillae are thin and slender 

 gently bent outwards at the base and inwards at the apex the out- 

 er lobe corresponding with the inner one in shape and strength. 

 The palpi are robust, both the maxillary and labial ones have joint 

 4 elongated, thin and acuminated, in fact needle-shaped, firmly im- 

 planted in the preceding one not loosely hinged to it. The max- 

 illary ones have joints 3 and 2 robust, the former swollen on the 

 inner, the latter on the outer side. In the labial ones, joint 3 is 

 still plumper than in the others, but differs in shape by being in- 

 crassated on the outer instead of the inner side, the 2nd joint being 

 at the same time quite small and cylindric. The mentum is large 



