BY THE REV. T. BLACKBURN. 547 



produced and sharp (more so than in S. planicej^s, — much as in 

 S. pruinosa, Dalm.), its sides only moderately rounded, its hind 

 angles scarcely defined (less distinct than in S. pruinosa, Dalm., — 

 much as in S. planiceps); it is less convex longitudinally {i.e., less 

 declivous behind) than in S. planiceps ; it has no trace of a dorsal 

 channel ; its puncturation resembles that of ;S'. planiceps and is 

 very evidently stronger and closer than in *S'. ^^ritmosa, Dalm. 

 The puncturation of the metasternum and hind coxae is evidently 

 less close than in S. pruinosa and very much less close than in S. 

 planiceps, — the hind coxse being (as in planiceps) decidedly shorter 

 in comparison with the metasternum than in aS^. pruinosa. From 

 aS'. parallela the closely punctured prothorax with its bisinuate 

 front margin is in itself a very sufficient distinction. 



I am of opinion that all the half dozen specimens I have seen 

 of this species are females, although the capriciousness of this 

 genus in respect of sexual characters (already alluded to) suggests 

 the question whether it is possible that the light coloured exam- 

 ples, with the blue colouring a mere iridescence, can be males ; in 

 these the ventral segments certainly seem a little flatter than in 

 the genuinely blue examples. 



S. Australia; near Port Victor. 



Sericesthis planiceps, sp.nov. 



$. Elongata ; subcylindrica; postice hand dilatata ; satnitida; 

 testaceo-rufa, prothorace elytrisque brunneo-purpureis, nee 

 })ruinosa nee iridescens nee velutina ; capite piano aequali sat 

 crebre sat aequaliter punctulato ; prothorace crebrius subtilius, 

 elytris (his 4-geminato-striatis, striarum geminatarum inter- 

 stitiis sat fortiter convexis) fortiter minus crebre, pygidio 

 crebre fortius, punctulatis ; clypeo antice late leviter rotundato 

 minus fortiter reflexo ; corpore subtus ad latera sat fortiter, 

 medium versus gradatim subtilius, punctulato ; sternis femori- 

 busque pilis sparsis vestitis ; coxis posticis quam metasterno 

 multo brevioribus ; tarsis validis elongatis, subtus sparsissime 

 lineatim setis validis brevibus vestitis ; tarsorum posticorum 

 articulis primis 2 inter se subsequalibus ; antennis 8-articulatis, 



