L. Harrtson 
31)3 
The family, for which I have taken the genus Akidojjroctm as 
type (as taking the older Ornithobius of Denny might lead to confusion, 
the generic name Ornithohia having been used in Diptera) may be 
briefly diagnosed as: Lipeurus-\\\iQ forms, large and elongate, without 
signate clypeus; with a notch of varying depth in the front margin 
of the head; with large antennae, alike or dimorphic, in front 
of the middle of the head; without trabeculae, or prominent 
trabecular angles; with swollen temples; with prothoracic stigmata 
prominent at the postero-lateral angle of the prothorax; and with 
long legs. 
Some characters based on more minute detail might be added, but 
I have no material of Botliriometopus, and am unable to say, from 
available descriptions, whether it agrees in certain features common to 
the other genera. It is remarkable that, in spite of the compact¬ 
ness of the group, characters which are usually considered of generic 
importance are very imevenly distributed. The notch in front of the 
head is uniform in Ahido'proctus, Heteroproctus, and Botliriometopus, but 
is very different in Ornithohius. The antennae are ahke in Akidoproctus ; 
almost ahke to dimorphic in Ornithohius ; markedly dimorphic in 
Heteroproctus and Bothrionietopiis. The last segments of the abdomen 
are conical in Akidoproctus, and in Ornithohius to a less degree; but in 
Bothriometopus the end of the abdomen is definitely two-pointed. In 
Heteroproctus the abdomen of the $ is pointed, while that of the d ends 
in two broadly rounded lobes. The oesophageal sclerite is present in 
three genera, but totally absent in Ornithohius. The very remarkable 
spinous genital plate of the $ Heteroproctus (Fig. 8) also occurs 
in Ornithohius and Akidoproctus. The subsidiary transverse bands 
on the posterior abdominal segments of the d Heteroproctus are 
found also in Bothriometopus. 
The following key will serve to differentiate the genera of the 
family: 
A. 
Anterior emargination crescentic 
Ornithohius 
AA. 
Anterior emargination oblong. 
B. 
Antennae alike in the sexes 
Alcidoinoctus 
BB. 
Antennae differing in the sexes. 
C. 
End of abdomen bilobed in both sexes 
.. .. Boihriojnetopus 
CC. 
Abdomen bilobed in d? conical in 5 
Heteroproctus 
