VI. Oontrihutions to the knowledge of African Phy- 
tophagous Coleoptera. Part I. By Martin 
Jacoby, F.E.S. 
[Read Feb. 6th, 1895.] 
The majority of the species the description of which forms 
the greater portion of this paper were kindly transmitted 
to me for examination by Mr. Peringuey, of the Cape Town 
Museum, and as many of them were obtained in Mashuna- 
land, a comparatively new locality, it was but natural that 
a good deal of the material should be new and interesting. 
There yet exist, however, in collections many African 
species of Phytophaga undescribed, and I have added 
from my own cabinet several of the more conspicuous 
species, which seem to me to be new or little known. 
We may thus gradually acquire a better knowledge of 
the fauna of the vast continent which is opened up to us 
more and more year by year. At the same time, it is 
not improbable that this quick march of civilization will 
also be the cause of the gradual disappearance of many 
of its present insect treasures. 
I may, perhaps, be allowed to remark here that I do 
not wonder if descriptions of species are overlooked, 
and the latter redescribed, when one finds in a book, the 
title of which is " The Insects of Germany,^^ species 
described from the interior of Africa and other parts of 
the world. 
Of the species described in this paper, most of the 
types are contained in my collection ; a few of the unique 
specimens, however, are in the collection of the Cape 
Town Museum, 
CRIOCERIN^. 
Lema Mugi, sp. n. 
Black, pubescent; head and thorax deeply and closely punc- 
tured; elytra violaceous, pubescent, deeply and closely punctate- 
striate, the interstices costate at the apex. Length, 3 lines. 
Closely allied to L. coelestina, Klug; of the same, 
shape and colour, as well as pubescent ; but at once to 
be distinguished by the deeply-punctured, not trans- 
versely plicate, thorax ; the head strongly punctured at 
TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1895. PART II. (jUNB.) 11 
