56 REVISION OF THE SUBFAMILY TENSBRIONI^uE^ 



ToxicuM Latr. 



Eight names have been published as belonging to the Austra- 

 lian species of this genus. In my opinion, these should be 

 reduced to three, with a synonymy as follows : — 



(1)7'. curvicorne Blkb., = 7'. spretum Blkb., = T'. parvicorne 

 Macl., = 2\ hrevicorne Pasc. 



(2) T. addendum Blkb., = T. distinctum Macl., = T. punctipenne 

 Pasc. 



(3) T. gracile Pasc. 



Of these, I have examined the types of T. spretum, T. parvi- 

 corne, and T. distinctum', and specimens compared with types by 

 Mr. Blair of T. curvicorne, T. punctipenne, and T. gracile\ while 

 T. hrevicorne is the commonest species in Victoria and New Ho^ith 

 Wales, and is, no doubt, correctly named in the Macleay Museum. 

 Mr. Blair, moreover, writes that he has placed T. curvicorne in 

 the British Museum Collection as a synonym of T. hrevicorne, an 

 opinion with which I concur, after seeing the specimens sent by 

 him. 



All the species I have seen in a fresh condition, except T. 

 gracile, have an opaque velvety indumentum which can be 

 removed by friction. The type of T. spretum Blkb., in the South 

 Australian Museum, is, I consider, an abraded specimen of T. 

 hy^evicorne Pasc, the elytral intervals and punctures being a little 

 more clearly defined and its surface more nitid than in the fresh 

 specimens. In a long series, the male presents variations in the 

 length of the horns, as shown in other horned insects (e.g., Ontho- 

 phagus, Bolhoceras, etc.); thus the type of T. parvicorne Macl., 

 is, I consider, a specimen of I', brevico'ue Pasc, with unusually 

 stunted horns. Mr. Champion has published the synonymy of 

 T. addendum Blkb., with T. punctipenne Pasc; while T. dis- 

 tinctum Macl., is undoubtedly the same species. As pointed out 

 by Champion, Blackburn (and I would add Pascoe and Macleay) 

 failed to notice the angular enlargement — or blunt tooth - on the 

 inside edge of the anterior femora of the male; a pronounced 

 character in T. punctipe7ine Pasc. In 7\ hrevicorne Pasc, this 

 tooth is smaller but evident, while in T. gracile Pasc, it is even 

 less obvious, though present. 



