188 Descriptions of new Ceylon Cokoptera. [no. % s new series. 



of these organs in the family of the Scydm^nidje, a fact, although 

 incomplete, of more importance than either of the former consider- 

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

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

 gical 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 Scydmjenidje 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 fa- 

 mily) the elytra soldered together and being destitute of wings. 

 Now, although it is scarcely credible that on a point so easily 

 ascertained as this, any difference of opinion should exist, still 

 Westwood in his Modern Classification of Insects, in describ- 

 ing the same family makes statements which imply the contrary. 

 However, Lacordaire's description being fifteen years earlier, in 

 fact the most recent book on the subject, 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 mentioned above, the insects referred to, have the 

 elytra soldered together and are destitute of wings. This being the 

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

 low, 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 wings were nearly double 

 the size of the whole insect and could not possibly be overlooked. I 

 would willingly suppose that the 100 species of this family con- 

 tained in European collections, and principally derived from 

 Europe and N. America, agreed with Lacordaire's description and 

 that the Ceylon species formed exceptions to the general rule, were 

 it not that Westwood's observation alluded to above corroborates 

 my own and renders me suspicious that some unaccountable mistake 

 or oversight may have occurred. That this mistake cannot consist in 



