Broun. — Revision of the New Zealand Cossoiiidse. 165 



T. morosa, Broun. 1749. Man. N.Z. Coleopt., p. 969. 



Rostrum rather longer than that of 904, slightly incrassate medially, 

 the point of antennal insertion. Occiput not delimited in front. Thorax 

 more curvedly narrowed near the base, its sides more strongly rounded. 

 Humeral angles subrectangular. Nigrescent, each puncture with a minute 

 greyish seta. Perhaps represents a distinct genus. Male incog. 



2 . Length, 2^ lines ; breadth, | line. 



Howick (one). Mount Egmont (one). Both during 1884. 



Merisma, gen. nov. 



Subdepressed, elongate, minutely pubescent. 



Rostrum almost as long as thorax, evidently but gradually narrowed 

 towards the middle, its frontal portion as broad as the head, the basal 

 narrower ; in the female it is slender, parallel, and arched. Scrobes straight 

 and elongate above, widened and nearly convergent underneath. Scape 

 medially inserted, slightly curved, gradually thickened, barely attaining 

 the front of the eye. Funiculus as long as the scape, 2nd joint nearly as 

 long as the 1st, 3-5 subquadrate, each narrowed towards the base. Club 

 rather narrow, oblong-oval, finely annulate, not much shorter than the 

 funiculus. Eyes distant from the thorax and each other, only moderately 

 prominent. The head, at each side, has two slight constrictions, the smaller 

 immediately behind the eye ; the other, about equidistant from the eye 

 and thorax, limits the smooth occiput from the sculptured part, which ex- 

 tends nearly half-way from the eye to the thoracic margin. Thorax longer 

 than broad, much narrowed and constricted in front, moderately rounded 

 laterally. Scutellum distinct. Elytra slightly biarcuate at the base, which 

 is rather broader than that of the thorax ; they are elongate and taper 

 towards the extremity. Legs relatively rather short ; inner extreiuity of 

 the tibi?e with a minute calcar ; 3rd tarsal joint moderately expanded, 

 cleft nearly to its base, and consequently strongly bilobed. 



Underside plane. The rostrum with a central carina, which seems to 

 project into the buccal cavity. Basal 2 ventral segments combined rather 

 longer than the metasternum and broadly impressed, with their fine sinuous 

 suture quite distinct, the 5th with a rounded depression occupying half of 

 its area. 



Female. — Antennal insertion just behind the middle. 



The depressed elongated body, peculiar head and rostrum, strongly 

 lobate penultimate tarsal joint, and much more approximated anterior 

 coxfe amply justify the creation of Merisma for the reception of Wollaston's 

 Pentarfhrum sharpianum. 



Merisma sharpiana, Wollaston. 926. (Plate XV, fig. 7.) 



Elytra rufescent, thorax and rostrum somewhat piceous, moderately 

 shining. 



Rostrum slightly transversely convex, rather finely punctate in front, 

 more closely and somewhat rugosely behind, the rather coarser punctuation 

 of the head extending backwards for half the distance between the eyes 

 and thorax ; there is usually a slight longitudinal impression on the vertex ; 

 the occiput is not quite smooth, having some fine punctures, and being, 

 like the rostrum and thorax, more or less densely and minutely sculptured. 

 Thorax moderately closely and finely punctured, with a smooth median 

 line. Elytra punctate-striate, the striae rather shallow, broad towards 



