South African Coleopterous Fauna. 195 



the sulcus is narrow and reaches from the anterior angle to the hind 

 pore and is not continued along the base, the space between the 

 median part and the basal sulcus is much broader than between the 

 sulcus and the outer margin, and is finely and closely punctate, the 

 interspace between the two basal sulci is plane, whereas that between 

 the outer margin and the basal sulcus follows the slight convexity of 

 the disk which is broadest slightly before the median part ; elytra 

 oblong, with the shoulders not much sloping, slightly wider below 

 the shoulders than the prothorax, the impunctate striae are deep, and 

 the intervals very plainly convex, the puncture on the side of the 

 third interval is almost median ; last abdominal segment with the 

 two normal punctures (<?) ; metasternum and episterna punctulate, 

 rnetasternal episterna long ; the three basal joints of the hind tarsi 

 are silicate on each side, and the basal one has a few very short setaa 

 on each side in the male. 



Length 8 mm. ; width 3 mm. 



Hab. Natal (Durban). C. N. Barker. 



Not unlike A. nataletisis, which however belongs to a different 

 group, but with the prothorax less ampliated laterally and straighter 

 in the posterior part. This species is probably very closely allied to 

 if not identical with A. rufipalpis, Chaud., which I know from the 

 description only, but the median basal part of the prothorax is finely 

 punctate, and de Chaudoir does not mention this character. 



ABACETUS OPTIMUS, n. sp. 



Black, shining iridescent, antennas, palpi and legs reddish ; frontal 

 sulci arcuate ; prothorax broader than long, and widest across past 

 one-third of the length, strongly arcuate laterally for two-thirds of 

 the length, narrowed thence but not sinuated above the hind angle 

 which is sharply angular, the reflexed margin is sharp, the lateral 

 sulcus deep, reaching the hind setigerous puncture and continued 

 along the base as a deep line reaching the basal sulcus which is 

 separated from the median longitudinal line by an impunctate space 

 slightly wider than that separating it from the outer margin, the 

 sides of the posterior part are not depressed ; elytra oblong, as wide 

 behind the sloping shoulders as the prothorax, the impunctate striae 

 are deep, the intervals moderately convex, the setigerous pore on the 

 third interval is situated past the median part; rnetasternal episterna 

 long ; the hind tibiae are not sulcate inwardly, and only the first joint 

 of the hind tarsi is sulcate outwardly, the fifth joint is slightly setulose 

 underneath. 



