322 NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN COLEOPTERA, 



striatis, puncturis sat quadratis, interstitiis convexis, apicibus 

 rotundatis ; corpore subtus fortiter sat crebre punctulato. 



[Long. 5 J, lat. l^ lines. 



It seems difficult to fitid sharply defined characters to separate 

 the species of this genus inter se, — indeed if the apical process of 

 the elytra in D. caudata be not a reliable specitic character there 

 would seem to be little to distinguish that species from D. silacea. 

 The present insect of which I have seensevei^al examples (all quite 

 identical) may be at once known by its large size, and I observe 

 also a slight nodosity where the 5th and 6th elytral interstices 

 unite at their apex which seems to be absent in the previously 

 described species and in B. nigra. The black colour well clothed 

 with somewhat coarse whitish-grey scales (which are more sparing 

 in places and give a rather patchy appearance) seems characteristic. 

 From Z>. silacea, Pasc, and caudata, Pasc, the colour of the derm 

 differs entirely. From I), nigra the coarser and somewhat rugulose 

 puncturation of the prothorax is a further distinguishing character. 

 D. nigra is the only species known to me any examples of which 

 have the elytra conspicuously produced at the apex. I think it 

 hardly likely that that is the only one of which I have both sexes, 

 so I suppose that if the character be sexual it is confined to certain 

 species, but it is quite possible that there may be examples of the 

 present species and of others that follow in which the elytra are 

 not simply rounded. 



S.A., near Adelaide ; in flood refuse. 



Desiantha sericea, sp.nov. 

 Oblonga ; nigra, squamis sat magnis sericeis nigris et 

 olivaceo-brunneis (his in prothorace longitudinaliter et latera 

 versus, in elytris maculatim, dispositis) confertim aequaliter 

 vestita; antennis (clava excepta) tibiis tarsisque rufescentibus; 

 rostro sat nitido ; prothorace oblongo subtilius confertim nee 

 rugulose punctulato ; elytris punctulato-striatis, puncturis sat 

 quadratis, interstitiis vix convexis setulis pallidis erectis 

 ornatis, interstitiis 5° 6°que postice conjunctis distincte 

 nodulosis. [Long. 4, lat. 1 j lines. 



