BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 229 



heir whole extent being readily seen the puncturation of the 

 abdomen is a very distinctive character. 



Melanterius castaneus, n.sp. 



(J. Elliptic-ovate, shining, convex. Castaneous; under surface 

 slightly darker than upper. Punctures with scarcely visible 

 whitish hairs. 



Head sparsely and feebly punctate; eyes subreniform, coarsely 

 faceted, separation less than width of rostrum. Rostrum 

 moderately long, curved, subparallel to antennse, thence slightly 

 narrowing to apex ; densely and shallowly punctate ; with a 

 feeble median carina. Scape inserted about one-fourth from 

 apex of rostrum, which it passes for about half its length; basal 

 joint of funicle obtriangular, longer than 2nd, 5th-7th transverse, 

 the length of club. Froihorax about as long as wide, emargina- 

 tion and ocular lobes feeble; densely punctate, punctures some- 

 times confluent and with a slight trend outwards. Sciotellum 

 small, punctate. Elytra cordate, wider than prothorax and 

 scarcely twice its length, shoulders rounded; each with ten rows 

 of small punctures set in narrow grooves; interstices wide, flat, 

 densely punctate, distinctly wider than grooves. Pectoral canal 

 wide, shallow; anterior coxa? rounded, feebly separated. Meso- 

 sternal plate feebly depressed, rather coarsely punctate, base and 

 apex almost truncate, sides oblique, anterior angles raised. 

 Metasternum densely punctate ; episterna each with a row of 

 narrow punctures. Abdomen not very densely and rather regu- 

 larly punctate ; basal segment very large, feebly longitudinally 

 depressed ; 2nd slightly shorter than intermediates combined, 

 these minutely punctate. Leys moderately long, densely punc- 

 tate; femora with very small teeth, posterior reaching apical 

 segment; tibije thin, grooved, not bisinuate beneath: claw-joint 

 long, claws very feeble, appearing soldered at their bases. Length 

 2f (vix), rostrum f ; width If mm. 



Hah. — W.A. : Pinjarrah. 



A specimen, also from Pinjarrah, and which is probably 9, has 

 the rostrum much longer, thinner, more noticeably curved, parallel 



