BY THE REV. T. BLACKBURN. 543 



if I am to make my work intelligible, to discuss the history and 

 synonymy of some of them as an introduction. The type of the 

 genus, — Melolontha pruinosa, Dalm., ( = Sericesthis geminata, 

 Boisd.) ; is a well known insect, common in N. S. Wales. Of the 

 other four species described by Boisduval S. rujipennis has been 

 miade the type of a new genus (Colobostoma, Blanch.), which I 

 believe should be recognised, and hope to deal with in the next part 

 of this series of " Revisions" ; S. cervina is not sufficiently described 

 for identification, but is placed by M. Blanchard (presumably from 

 inspection of the type) in ffeteronyx, while Dr. Burmeister places 

 it ia the genus (Jaulobiits (the validity of Caulohius need not 

 now be discussed, but I may just say that if Dr. Burmeister was 

 right in his identification of it, it has nothing to do with Sericesthis 

 or Heteronyx, and if he was wrong it is probably a mere 

 synonym of Heteronyx ; to which subject I hope to return in a 

 subsequent memoir ; for the present it is sufficient to say that 

 S. cervina, Boisd., is clearly not a true congener of Melolontha 

 pruinosa, Dalm., as we now understand the term congener in this 

 case) ; S. nigrolineata is stated by M. Blanchard to be from 

 Tasmania (Boisduval merely says " New Holland ") and to be 

 identical with jS'. languida, Er., which determination, though by no 

 means unlikely, must be taken, I think, as " not proven," since M. 

 Blanchard does not appear to have seen the type of S. langidda, 

 but the description of S. nigrolineata (which reads much as if 

 founded on a slight var. of »S'. pruiriosa, Dalm.) would, I think, 

 serve to identify the insect if one had an example known to be 

 from Tasmania ; S. pullata is placed by M. Blanchard as con- 

 generic with S. geminata and nigrolineata, and therefore is, I 

 presume, a genuine Sericesthis, but without the authority of one 

 who had inspected the type I should have thought that the phrase 

 " elytris subtomentosis " in Boisduval's description could hardly 

 apply to a member of this genus. Melolontha chlorotica, Gyll., 

 is stated by Dr. Burmeistei', after inspection of the original type, 

 to be congeneric with M. pruinosa, Dalm. ; it seems to be well 

 distinguished by having a transverse carina on the head. The 

 two species from Tasmania, described by Erichson {sericans and 

 37 



