NEW  GENERA  AND  SPECIES  OF  COLEOPTEROUS  INSECTS. 
105 
Hab.  in  Africa  Occidentali. 
Mus.  Nav.-Mil. 
Descr.  Antenn(s  nigrse,  corpore  longiores,  articulis  omnibus  aculeato-spinosissimis, 
septimi  sequentiumque  (prseter  ultimi)  lateribus  ad  apicem  dilatatis,  ultimo  eion- 
gato  subensiformi.  Mandibula  variolosee,  4-dentat3e,  dente  interno  majore,  c?eteris 
apicalibus,  externe  l-tuberculatee.  Thorax  niger,  margine  spinis  acutissimis  ar- 
mato,  disco  tuberculis  difFormibus  scabroso-varioloso.  Elytra  ad  apicem  mucronata, 
nigro-brunnea,  ad  basin  variolosa,  postic^  quasi  vermibus  erosa  (scilicet  disci 
variolis  apicem  versus  minoribus),  singula  lineis  quatuor  elevatis  quarum  interna 
sequenti  postice  conjuncta.  Pedes  antici  cseteris  longiores,  scabri,  femoribus 
densissim^  spinosis,  tibiis  aculeatis  ad  apicem  hamis  inflexis  quatuor  armatis  ; 
posteriorum  femoribus  supra  infraque  aculeatis,  tibiis  supra  infraque  subarmatis. 
Tarsi  supra  picei,  subtiis  brunnei,  pulvinati.    Ungues  picei,  simplices. 
This  magnificent  insect  is  remarkable  on  account  of  the  outer  portion  of  its  tro- 
chanters being  pubescent.  In  size  it  is  not  surpassed  by  any  coleopterous  species  with 
which  I  am  acquainted.  Many  of  the  spines  of  the  antenncc  are  curved  at  the  tip  ;  and 
the  hooks  at  the  extremities  of  the  tibia  are  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  the 
insect  when  at  rest  to  support  its  weight.  I  am  not  aware  that  similar  hooks  have 
been  hitherto  noticed,  except  in  the  insect  constituting  the  genus  Chiasognathus,  Steph. 
Their  existence  in  the  Chias.  Grantii,  and  in  the  present  insect,  leads  to  the  presumption 
of  an  affinity  between  the  Lucanidts  and  the  Prionida. 
It  was  captured  at  West  Bay,  Prince's  Island,  in  the  Bight  of  Biafra,  and  received 
from  the  sailors,  on  account  of  its  gigantic  size,  the  whimsical  appellation  of  King  of 
the  Cockroaches.  It  is  now  in  the  Naval  and  Military  Museum,  to  which  it  was  pre- 
sented by  Capt.  J.  Hayes,  R.N.,  C.B.,  in  honour  of  whom  it  has  been  named  by 
Capt.  Downes. 
2,  Prionus  Cumingii. 
Tab.  XIV.  Fig.  7. 
Pri.  ater ;  thoracis  bifoveolati  angulo  antico  utrinque  dilatato  hamato ;  elytris  varioloso- 
tuberculatis. 
Long,  corporis  27  lin. ;  lat.  ad  humeros  8,  elytrorum  12. 
Hab.  in  ChiU. 
Mus.  Hope. 
Descr.  AntenncB  nigrje.  Palpi  picei.  Maxilla  arcuatse,  l-dentatse,  dente  fere  medio. 
Caput  nigrum,  punctatum,  antice  depressum,  ad  antennarum  insertiones  elevatum, 
linea  longitudinali  inter  oculos  profunde  impressa.  Thorax  antice  postic^que  mar- 
ginatus,  pilis  aurantiis  obsitus,  angulis  anterioribus  in  bamum  productis,  foveolis 
