98 NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN COLEOPTERA, 



BEMBIDIIDES. 

 Bembidium. 



I have recently made an examination of the Australian types 

 described by Sir W. Macleay as belonging to this genus. I was 

 unfortunately not able to study them sufficiently at leisure to 

 enable rae satisfactorily to characterise new generic forms among 

 them, which would, I think, be necessary in treating them pro- 

 perly ; but as Sir W. Macleay in describing them intimated that 

 he referred them to Bembidium only in a general sense, I think 

 that I can furnish some notes on them which may prove useful 

 pending a more exhaustive treatment of the subject. 



One of them, B. transversicoUe, appears to uie to be a small 

 Harpalid very close to my Notophilus Icetus (of which, however, I 

 had not a specimen with me for comparison). The unique type in 

 the Australian Museum is unfortunately in very bad condition, so 

 that I fear it will be hardly capable of satisfactory examination. 



The other species are all, 1 think, rightly referred to Bembidium 

 (using the name in a very general sense). I should say, however, 

 that B. gagatinum and Jiavipes might properly be referred to a 

 new genus, hipartitum. to another new genus and hrunnipenne to 

 still another. 



The following appear to be typical Bembidia, viz., bipustulatum, 

 amplipenne and subviride. 



The rest of the species are, I think, congeneric with Tachys 

 Mindersi, Blackb., and other species which I have referred provi- 

 sionally to Tachys as presenting in general the structural characters 

 of that genus, while at the same time their superficial resemblance 

 to typical Bembidia suggests the probability that eventually they 

 may receive a distinct generic name, 



Bembidium ocellatum, Blackb. 

 This species is identical with B. subviride, MacL, of which it 

 must in future be regarded as a synonym. The rest of the species 

 described by Sir W. Macleay as Bembidia are distinct from all T 

 have described unless my Notophilus lo'tus should be identified 

 with Bembidium transversicoUe, Macl. 



