544 REVISION OF THE GENERA COLPOCHILA, ETC., 



languida) ought to be easily recognisable as the descriptions are 

 fairly good ; the latter is said to be identical with S. nigrolineata 

 (as noted above) ; both are described as having 8-jointed antennae 

 and are very likely to be confined to Tasmania. M. Blanchard's 

 four species present a difficulty, inasmuch as their author does 

 not directly refer to the number of joints in their antennas ; by 

 referring to Erichsoii's description of Scitala for the generic 

 characters of Sericesthis he no doubt implies that the antennae 

 are 8-jointed, but on the other hand (judging by ray own experi- 

 ence of the proportion of species with 9-jointed antennae) I should 

 think it very improbable that all the examples before him had 

 those organs only 8-jointed, and further, I am fairly confident that 

 I know his S. aureo-rufa aud, if so, it certainly has 9-jointed 

 antennas ; therefore I am of opinion that M. Blanchaid did not 

 carefully examine the antennae of the species he described. aS'. 

 pruinosa, Blanch., is not identical with Melolontlia pruinosa, 

 Dalni., (which species was evidently not known to M. Blanchard) ; 

 this has been since pointed out by M. von Harold, and Blanchard's 

 species re-named rugosula ; examples in my collection seem to 

 appertain to it. S. rugosiceps, Blanch., from Eastern Australia, 

 is said to have its head (in singular contrast to the name) " subti- 

 lissime punctatum," and to be "omninorufa" with the elytra 

 " diiutius rufa submicantia " ; I have seen no species presenting 

 these characters. aS". ylahra appears to be a non-iridescent species 

 from Eastern Australia, with strong puncturation and the sterna 

 " vix pilosa " ; perhaps my S. dispar, erosa and puncticollis (vide 

 infra) are all allied to it but they all have much the same thin 

 pilosity on the sterna that is usual in the genus, and the " antennis 

 rufis " of S. glabra would not agree with any of them ; the 

 description of S. glabra is, however, most meagre and would come 

 near fitting almost any non-iridescent species in the genus. As I 

 have seen no non-iridescent Sericesthis from Eastern Australia I 

 have no doubt S. glabra is a good species unknown to uie. Dr. 

 Burmeister added two species to the genus, which he named 

 rorida and cenescens ; I think I know them both and purpose 

 referring to them again in the next part of this " Revision " among 



