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Descriptions of new Coleoptera of Geographical Interest, collected by Charles Darwin, Esq. By Frederick II. Waterhouse, Librarian to the Zoological Society of London. (Communicated by Dr. J. Muiue, E.L.S.)

[Read December 5, 1878.]

The insects described in the present paper were collected by Mr. Charles Darwin, and have been in my father's collection for many years undetermined.

The first that I have to notice is an example of Brachelytra belonging to the genus Phytosus, and from the Falkland Islands. The species of this genus have hitherto only been recorded from Europe, Morocco, the Canary Islands, California, and Kergueleu Island. It should be noticed of that here described that it has unusuaHy long and slender claws ; this peculiarity is noticed by my brother in the species described by him . from Kerguelen Island, but this is a small species.

The second species here referred to is also from the Falkland Islands : it belongs to the genus Gholeva. The species of this genus are widety distributed, and have been recorded from Europe, N. Africa, Madeira, Tasmania, N. America, Venezuela, and Chili. That now denoted is a very remarkable one, on account of its elliptical form and strong punctuation.

The third insect I have to record is a species of the genus JElmis from St. Helena, of which Mr. Darwin found two specimens. This genus was not known to occur in this locality when the late Mr. "Wollaston published his work on the Coleoptera of the island; it is therefore an interesting addition to the fauna.

The next species also comes from the same locality; it belongs to the widely-distributed genus Antlticus. This genus, however, has not as yet been recorded from there. Mr. Darwin also obtained the following species from St. Helena, recently described by the late Mr. "Wollaston :—Oxytelus alutaeeifrons, Cryptophayus gracilipes, Notioxenus ferruyineus, and Ilomosodera pyymcea.

I have also called attention to a very interesting species of ScapMsoma from liio de Janeiro, remarkable for its elongate compressed form and from being the first species of this genus that has been recorded from South America.

It remains now for mo to mention a new genus of Philhydrida? from the Cape of Good Hope, allied to Helophorus. The special

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interest attaching to this genus is the presence of two ocelli, a peculiarity extremely rare in Coleoptera, and not hitherto known in this family. There are only two species of the whole group known from S. Africa.

The types of the following species are in the Collection of the British Museum.

Phytosus Darwinii, sp. nov.

Light pitchy brown, not very dull; the head and the fourth and fifth segments of the abdomen nearly black. Head scarcely longer than broad, narrowed in front, gently rounded at the sides, extremely finely coriaceous, and very finely and moderately thickly punctured. Antenna} scarcely as long as the head and thorax together ; the first two joints are elongate, the third moderately so ; the fourth to the tenth nearly equal, slightly widening towards the apex, sparingly pubescent. Thorax slightly broader than the head, and a little broader than long, broadest a little in front of the middle, gradually narrowed behind, sculptured in the same manner as tlie head ; the sides gently rounded in front, and gently sinuate behind. Elytra as broad as the thorax, but much shorter, extremely finely coriaceous; punctures slightly more distinct than on the head and thorax. Abdomen slightly widening towards the apex ; extremely finely coriaceous and finely punctured, very sparingly pubescent, and slightly more glossy than the other parts of the insect. Legs sparingly pubescent, and the claws very long and slender. Length 4g millims.

Hab. Falkland Islands.

ClIOLEYA EALKLANDTCA, sp. nOV.

Rather elongate elliptical, not very convex, of a dull dark brown, the head nearly black, clothed with fine brownish pubescence. Head broad, narrowed in front, obliquely narrowed behind the eyes, very coarsely punctured. Antennae a little longer than the head and thorax, rather stout, and of a pitchy black, paler at the base. Palpi pitchy. Thorax much broader than the head, slightly narrowed in front, broadest just before the base, a little broader than long, very coarsely and thickly punctured. Elytra at the base scarcely broader than the thorax, slightly wider a little behind the middle, and then narrowed to the apex, very thickly and rather coarsely punctured, but not so coarsely as the head and thorax, without stria). Legs very stout, pitchy; the tarsi

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paler, the anterior very much dilated, the basal joint transverse. Length 3 millims.

Hab. Falkland Islands.

Er.Mis beunneus, sp. nov.

Moderately convex, dull pitchy brown, paler beneath. Head nearly black. Thorax broadest behind, gradually narrowed in front, slightly broader than long, densely and finely punctured, the sides finely margined; there is a slight indication of an impression on each side at the base. Elytra about twice as long as the thorax, at the base a little wider than the base of the thorax, more ample posteriorly, abruptly and obliquely narrowed at the apex, strongly striated, the striae strongly punctured, the intervals convex, dull. Length 2 millims.

Hab. St. Helena.

Most nearly approaches IS. oupreus, but its shorter and broader form and opaque surface separate it from that and other allied species.

Anthictjs "Wollastoni, sp. nov.

Beddish yellow, very glossy, not much convex, the legs rather paler. Head across the eyes a little wider than the thorax, not quite as long as broad, obliquely (but not much) narrowed behind the eyes ; not visibly punctured ; the eyes moderately prominent. Antennas a little longer than the head and thorax taken together; the four apical joints distinctly larger than the preceding joints. Thorax a trifle longer than broad, very convex, not visibly punctured, moderately narrowed posteriorly, the greatest width rather in front of the middle; the sides rounded in front; thickly beset with long yellow pubescence, with an impressed line on each side near to the margin and parallel to it, not quite extending to the front margin. Elytra at the base of the same width as the base of the thorax, one third longer than the head and thorax taken together, twice as broad in the middle as at the base, obliquely narrowed to the apex, extremely delicately and rather sparingly punctured. Length 1^ millim.

Hab. St. Helena.

The very small size, the pubescent thorax, and the angular sides to the elytra separate this species from the others of the genus.

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SCAPIIISOMA ELONGATUM, sp. nov.

Very elongate-ovate, much convex, and extremely glossy black. Head gradually widening towards the base, the greatest width being just behind the eyes ; not punctured. Clypeus slightly narrowed in front; the front margin pitchy red. Antennae very long and slender, the basal joints being pitchy red, the others darker, scantily covered with very long black hairs. Eyes scarcely projecting beyond the margin of the head. Palpi pitchy red. Thorax the same width as the head in front, but rapidly widening towards the base; very convex, as long as the width at the base, and not punctured. The elytra scarcely broader than the thorax at the base, and gradually tapering towards the apex to about half the width ; very convex, the extreme tips pitchy red; sparingly and excessively delicately punctured. Legs long, slender, and of a uniform pitchy red. The last two segments of the abdomen pale pitchy red, with a few stiff hairs projecting from the apex of the last segment. Length 2|, width lj millim.

Hab. Rio de Janeiro.

This species is remarkable for its elongate narrow form ; therefore quite unlike any other of the genus, and not readily to bo confounded with them.

Peostiietops, gen. uov.

Head free. Maxillary palpi stout, the apical joint distinctly longer than the preceding joint, fusiform. Eyes large, prominent, not divided by a canthus. Clypeus about twice as broad as long, its greatest width across the middle ; the margins slightly reflexed; anterior angles rounded; the front margin with a deep triangular incision in the middle. Thorax transverse, much narrowed behind. Seutellum very small, triangular. Elytra moderately elongate, much broader in the middle than at the base and apex, the apices separately rounded. Legs and tarsi as in Helophorus. There are two distinct ocelli on the head, situated rather behind the middle of the eyes, widely separated. The presence of frontal ocelli in this genus is very interesting, their existence in the Coleoptera being of very rare occurrence.

Peosthetops capensis, sp. nov.

Rather flat, bronzy black, rather dull except the elytra, which are moderately shining. Head rather large ; forehead with a raised mark in the form of an x between the eyes ; the eyes prominent. Clypeus with the margins gently rcftexed and thickened. Thorax

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scarcely as broad as the head across the eyes, broader than long, the widest part a little in front of the middle, obliquely narrowed in front, much narrowed behind, with two longitudinal ridges on the disk, which meet in the middle and at the front margin ; the sides finely crenulate ; strongly and closely punctured, which gives it a dull appearance as compared with the elytra. Elytra at the base broader than the thorax, and about three times as long, considerably broader near the middle, and then narrowed towards the apex, which is about as broad as the base ; strongly punctate-striate, the surface rather undulating; there is a strong transverse impression on the disk near the middle. Legs rather long and slender; tibial pitchy. Length 2| millims. Ilab. Cape of Good Hope.