154 NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN COLEOPTERA, 



follows ; next the suture (which is not elevated) is a rather wide 

 l?evigate space ; then come 4 lines of punctures close together and 

 a little confused inter se, then a Isevigate interval, then 4 lines 

 similar to those already described, then a Isevigate interval, then 2 

 lines of punctures followed by a Irevigate interval, beyond which 

 are 2 more lines of punctures and then another Itevigate interval, 

 between which and the margin the puncturation is a little stronger 

 and much confused. In the basal ^ part of the elytra the punctures 

 are spare and quite confused, and in the apical 1 they become so 

 faint as to be scarcely visible under a strong lens. The elytra 

 though sub-opaque have a slight silky gloss. 



This species seems to resemble P. agonus, Pasc, which however 

 is very insufficiently described, no information being given (e.g.) 

 as to the form of the prothoracic and elytral margins. That insect 

 would seem to be much sinaller (long. 5-6 lines) than the present 

 one, and the lines of punctures on the elytra to be evenly spaced ; 

 nor is there any mention of the lines of punctures on the elytra 

 being confused at the base and obsolete towards the apex, nor of 

 the conspicuous foveiform impi'ession at the base of the prothorax 

 on either side intermediate between the middle line and the 

 margin ; the prothorax moreover is said to be "nearly impunctate," 

 whereas in the present species that segment under an ordinary lens 

 is very distinctly, though finely, punctulate. It would probably 

 be impossible to identify P. agomis positively except by examina 

 tion of the type. 



Northern Interior of S. Australia ; taken by Mrs. Richards, 

 probably in the Lake Eyre Basin. 



DiSTERNA. 



This genus appears to me far too near Zygocera to be placed, as 

 Lacordaire places it, in a different " Groupe " of the Lamiidoe ; 

 I am even a little sceptical as to its right to be separated from 

 Zygocera at all : in Masters' '* Catalogue descr. Col. of Australia " 

 its species appear under Zygocera. Lacordaire distinguishes the 

 "groupe" Disternides from the Zygocerides by the absence of an 

 oblique sinus on the intermediate tibiae and the truncation of the 



