BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 219' 



groove ; femora coarsely punctate, teeth large, distinct, the 

 anterior sharper and somewhat smaller than posterior, posterior 

 scarcely extending to apical segment ; tibia? short, compressed, 

 grooved ; claw-joint feebly pubescent, claws small, moderately 

 separated. Length 4^, rostrum 1^; width 2 mm. 



Hah. — N.W. Australia : King's Sound (Macleay Museum), 

 Upper Ord River (Mr. R. Helms), Wyndham (Mr. Inspector 

 Stephens). 



The scape in this species certainly does not pass the apex of 

 rostrum, though from some directions it appears to; looked at 

 from some directions it appears to be much shorter; actual mea- 

 surements show that there is a difference of about half a milli- 

 metre. Though having nine specimens under examination, I can 

 find no sexual differences in the rostrum and antennas except that 

 in the males the puncturation is somewhat coarser and with a 

 tendency to run in rows. The mesosternal plate is most peculiar', 

 and it has taken me some time to fully realise its structure; its 

 shape as noted above is the best definition that I can give of it 

 after numerous attempts. 



In one of my specimens the claws of two of the tarsi appear to 

 be soldered together at their bases, but this is purely accidental. 

 This apparent partial soldering of the claws I have noticed in a 

 good many weevils (not alone in the Cryi^torhynchides) and j^i'O- 

 bably is done when the specimens are being mounted, when if 

 the claws are feeble and loosely articulated (as is frequently the 

 oase) and happen to catch in the drying paper; they would pro- 

 bably be drawn together. Weak spirits (as is well known) 

 frequently relax the joints (seldom rigid in weevils) and more- 

 over frequently cause the protrusion of the pygidium. I have 

 pointed this out because, though apparently not an important 

 matter, it has probably caused (through the claws of onl}' one 

 tarsus having been examined) genera to be founded erroneously. 



Melanterius cinnamomeus, Pasc; I.e. No. 5395. 



Elliptic-ovate, moderately shining and somewhat convex. Dull 

 reddish-brown or dark castaneous; under somewhat darker than 



