422 STUDIES IN AUSTRALIAN ENTOMOLOGY, 



Hah. — North Queensland (Du Boulay). In the collection of 

 Mr. C. French. 



This splendid species would have been considered l^y Baron 

 de Chaudoir as belonging to the sub-genus Nurus. I can only- 

 compare it with H. breve, Motsch., which is a much smaller and 

 differently coloured insect, with the prothorax strongly sinuate 

 behind and the elytra much more deeply striate, the interstices 

 being stronger and more costate. //. breve has a puncture on 

 the outer side of the third interstice of the elytra near the base 

 (about 1-75 mm. behind the basal border) as in //. imperiale ; this 

 is probably a distinctive feature of this group of Uonnalosoma as 

 I have not found it in other species known to me. In H. breve 

 the anterior marginal puncture of the prothorax is present, but 

 it is wanting in the type specimen of JI. imperiale. 



HOMALOSOMA ALTERNANS, n.sp. 



Robust, elongate-oval, depressed ; prothorax subquadrate, the 

 sides sinuate towards base ; elytra ovate, punctate-striate, third, 

 fifth and seventh interstices subcarinate, shoulders dentate. 



(J. Black ; head and prothorax shining ; elytra opaque, excepting 

 the margin and summits of the stronger interstices ; undersurface 

 and legs black, shining. Head large (5-75 x 6 mm.), smooth, 

 depressed between the eyes ; vertex convex ; front with two 

 widely placed shallow impressions ; clypeal suture lightly 

 impressed ; eyes convex, not prominent ; orbits swollen below 

 eyes, shortly but not abruptly declivous behind. Prothorax 

 depressed, broader than long (6-3 x 7"6 mm.), broadest a little 

 before the middle ; sides lightly rounded on anterior part, a 

 little narrowed to anterior angles, lightly narrowed behind the 

 middle, lightly sinuate posteriorly and meeting the Imse at right 

 angles ; anterior margin emarginate ; base sinuate, emarginate 

 in middle, gently rounded on each side ; anterior angles widely 

 obtuse, a little advanced ; posterior angles marked, obtuse at 

 summit ; lateral border reflexed, a little wider towards the basal 

 angles, narrowly and weakly marked along l^ase on each side ; 

 median line well marked, linear, reaching the base ; lateral basal 



