86 REVISION OF SYMPETES AND IIEL.EUS, ETC., 



Hah. — Shark Bay, West Australia. 



Four specimens, all ^, sent by Mr. W. Duboulay, junr. It is 

 easily distinguished from its congeners by its extraordinary width 

 and square shape. In this respect it is the widest beetle known 

 to me. More convex than S. Macleayi Pasc, but less so than 

 S. gayates Breme. Type in author's coll. 



SyMPETES EXCISIFRONS, n.sp. 



Almost ci'-cular, convex, coal-black above, antennae and under- 

 side opaque piceous-black, discal surface nitid, underside and 

 legs sparsely clothed with short adpressed reddish hairs 



Head: labrum not evident, epistonia widely truncate, its angles 

 rounded in ^, obtuse in 5; behind this angle a distinct curved 

 excision, sides then narrowing to the eyes (not rai.sad as in .S'. 

 orbicularis iJreme, nor is frontal ridge so prominent), surface 

 minutely but not closely granulose, eyes more widely separated' 

 than in S. orbicularis, antennas stouter. Prothorax nearly four 

 times as wide as long (length measured in the middle), widest at 

 base, widely explanate, dis^c about as wide as the two margins 

 combined, deeply arcuately emarginate in front, anterior angles 

 very slightly rounded and obtuse (about 100°), extending almost 

 to the excision in epistoma, sides circularly widening and forming 

 a continuous curve with sides of elytra, border more strongly 

 recurved than in S. orbicularis Br., posterior angles acute and 

 overlapping elytra. Disc with central carina less evident than 

 in aS'. orbicularis, surface apparently smooth and impunctate, 

 foliaceous margins minutely granulose and nearly horizoital. 

 Scutelluin transverse, triangular. Elytra Vvider than long, widest 

 behind middle, less convex than S. orbicularis, more convex than 

 S. quadratus, strongly carinated at the suture throughout, disc 

 much more coarsely and deeply punctured, with interstices 

 irregularly transversely rugose, and with two or three subobsolete 

 cost?e on each elytron showing near base, the most evident of 

 these, near the suture, continuous from base to apex; surface 

 subglabrous, sparsely clad with minute black bristles; margins 

 flat, wider than in S. orbicularis, wdth extreme border thicker 



