BY WALTER W. FROGGATT. 333 



M. iridescPMs is given in Masters' Catalogue as a variety of M. 

 ciipriceps, but it is very distinct both in form and habits from the 

 beetles determined by Mr. Blackburn as the latter. 



M. cupriceps is nearly a third longer, of a more delicate pale 

 green colour, with decided golden tints upon the shoulders, and it 

 is more boat-shaped upon the back, with the serrate edges of the 

 elytra very deep and slender. The abdominal strife are very fine 

 and regular, and sparingly punctured, while the spaces between 

 them are perfectly smooth. 



This beetle is rather common about Sydney, feeding upon the 

 foliage of Viminaria denudata early in the year; but I have 

 never taken M. cupriceiys on an Acacia. 



Melobasis splendida, Donov. 



I have not been able to identify the larva of this beautiful 

 little Buprestid; but in chopping the dead stems of Acacia longi- 

 folia I have come upon several fully developed in an irregular 

 chamber at the end of a tunnel leading from under the bark into 

 the sapwood; and have bred as many more from infested wood 

 kept in boxes. 



The beetle is 4 lines in length, bright metallic-green, with two 

 parallel bands of dark purple across the thorax; and a brilliant 

 fiery coppery-red pattern formed by two bands commencing behind 

 the thoracic bands, leaving a bright green patch round the 

 pronotum and joining just below, occupying all the centre of the 

 back, and after projecting out on either side into two sharp 

 angles, runs round the tip of the wing covers, and forms a narrow 

 stripe along the apical part of the margins not quite up to the 

 hind legs; all the underside is bright green. 



//rt6.— Rose Bay, N.S.W. 



CiSSEIS MACULATA, L. ct G. 



A score of specimens of this beetle have been bred, in October, 

 from dead branches of Acacia lonyifolia collected at Rose Bay, 

 and kept in closed boxes; others were obtained in November and 

 December, feeding on the leaves of the same Acacia at Manly. 



