BY REV. T. BLACKBURN. 237 



very well mai^ked impressions on the anterior part of the lateral 

 ■declivity of the elytra, renders it easy to identify. 

 Victoria; Alpine region. 



P. LITURATA, Marsh, (var. sidneyensis, Fauv.) 



This is an excessively variable insect, of which I possess an 

 example that has been compared with the reputed type in the 

 Macleay Collection. Its most distinctive character consists in 

 the slightness of the dilatation in the ^ of the basal joint of the 

 tarsi, which is only about as wide as the 2nd joint, and has 

 almost straight sides. Apart from this character the species is 

 excessively close to P. hruanea, Marsh., but is constantly smaller 

 and almost invariably has the elytra marked with well defined 

 black blotches, which (so far as I have observed) is never the case 

 with hrnnnea. It varies from orange-brown with the base and 

 sides of the elytra clear red (P. sidneyensis, Fauv., I have no 

 doubt) to a form having two or three black spots on each elytron, 

 then to a form having a very wide submarginal black vitta much 

 abbreviated at both ends, then to a form (the typical one) having 

 the same vitta suddenly dilated at the front in its inner side so 

 as nearly to reach the suture, and finally to a form in which the 

 entire disc of the elytra is black leaving only the lateral margins 

 and apex red-brown. In many examples the markings of the 

 underside of the elytra show through (as in brunnea) and the 

 sculptux'e of the upper surface (as in brunnea) varies a little in 

 distinctness. It is a common species in Victoria and New South 

 Wales. 



P. DIFFICILIS, Sp.nOV. 



(J. Convexa; late ovata, fere subcircularis; sat nitida; rufo- 

 testacea, antennis apicem versus piceis; capite subtilius minus 

 crebre punctulato; prothorace quam longiori fere ut 2|^ ad 1 

 latiori, crebre subtiliter (ad latera sat grosse minus crebre) 

 punctulato et in disco puncturis nonnullis vix subtilibus 

 impresso, utrinque fovea profunda sed sat parva instructo, 

 lateribus modice arcuatis, latitudine majori basin versus 

 posita, angulis anticis acutis minus productis posticis rotun- 



