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Show 644 MR. G. C CHAMPION ON COLEOPTERA [Nov. 18, to the apex, the punctures fine on the disc but becoming much coarser towards the sides anteriorly, the interstices sparsely and very minutely punctured and transversely wrinkled, almost flat towards the suture, convex at the sides, the epipleurae transversely wrinkled ; beneath dark violaceous, shining, the propleurae coarsely and sparsely, the sides of the metasternum more finely punctured, the ventral segments finely and rather thickly punctured and aciculate; pro-sternum broadly, longitudinally depressed between the anterior coxae, the apex broadly produced but very little raised; legs rather short, dark violaceous, thickly and rather coarsely punctured. Length 16|, breadth 5| millim. One example, probably a female. In the very broadly widened outer antennal joints (joints 7-10 being about twice as broad as long), the presternum broad and depressed between the anterior coxae, the comparatively short legs, & c , this insect agrees very much better with Xanthothopeia than with Strongylium ; and as it does not differ in any important particular from the former I refer it to that genus. Three species only of Xanthothopeia have been described, all differing considerably from the present one. Maklin has taken the colour of the palpi as one of the generic characters of Xanthothopeia ; but the colour of these organs cannot possibly be regarded as of generic importance, though they are conspicuously flavo-testaceous in his typical species, X. rufipennis. ASPIDOSTERNUM, Miikl. ASPIDOSTERNUM PHYSOPTERUM. Aspidosternum physopterum, Harold, Mittheil. Munch, ent. Ver. iv. p. 164. One example apparently referable to this species, of which von Harold has only published a brief and very incomplete diagnosis. It has the elytra gradually widened from the base to very far beyond the middle, strongly convex behind, and distinctly costate; the upper surface greenish-aeneous and shining; the thorax strongly transverse, rounded at the sides, and sparsely punctured. Several specimens of the same species, from the Cameroons, are contained in Mr. F. Bates's collection ; in one or two of these the elytral costae are almost or quite obsolete, thus agreeing better with von Harold's diagnosis. PRAOGENA, Cast. PRAOGENA PROCERA. Praogena procera, Harold, Mittheil. Munch, ent. Ver. ii. p. 107 • Col. Hefte, xvi. p. 131, t. 1. fig. 8. A single mutilated example, 25 millim. in length, agrees well with von Harold's diagnosis of P. procera, " Aurato-viridis, niti-dissima, corpore subtus rufo-piceo, pedibus rufo-testaceis, femorum apice, tibiis ultra medium tarsisque nigris," and also with his figure. This is one of the finest known species of the genus. |