BY THE REV. T. BLACKBURN. 499 



Trans. Roy. Soc, 1887, p. 241) by the presence on the elytra of 

 a large space round the scutellum on which the longitudinal 

 direction of the elytral sculpture absolutely ceases. Its sexual 

 distinctions are not very strongly marked ; in the male the apical 

 emargination of the last ventral segment is a little narrower and 

 deeper than in the female, and its lateral spines are a little 

 stronger ; also the intermediate tibiae are slightly arcuate and a 

 little shorter and stouter than in the female. 



Melobasis beltanensis, sp.nov. 



<J. Yiridis, elytris cupreo-purpureis exceptis (colore sine dubio 

 variabili) ; capite (sat piano aequali) confertim aspere, pro- 

 thorace sat crebre sat fortiter (latera versus vix magis crasse), 

 elytris subfortiter sat sequaliter, corpore subtus fortiter fere 

 sequaliter, punctulatis ; prothorace quam longiori fere tribus 

 partibus latiori, antice leviter angustato, lateribus leviter 

 rotundatis ; elytris leviter striatis, striis antice et latera 

 versus obsoletis, interstitiis nonnullis (prEesertim 2 a 4 a que) 

 nonnihil convexis; prosterno antice declivi; tibiis intermediis 

 sat brevibus, sat robustis, leviter arcuatis; segmento ventrali 

 apical i 4-spinoso et in medio semicirculariter inciso. 



[Long. 3?, lat. lg lines (vix). 

 A very distinct little species remarkable for the evenness of its 

 puncturation, especially on the underside where the basal ventral 

 segment is (even in front) not punctured noticeably less closely 

 and strongly than the other segments ; the even and well-marked 

 puncturation of the elytra, too, is very characteristic. The apical 

 emargination of the last ventral segment and the apical spines 

 are fairly strong ; on either side there is a strong tooth (doubtless 

 absent in the female) a little behind the apex. 



S. Australia ; near Beltana, on the border of the interior 

 desert region. 



Strigoptera. 



Mr. C. French, of Melbourne, has lately forwarded for my 

 inspection an insect which he tells me was named for him some 

 time ago by M. Deyrolle as Strigoptera Frenchi. I have in my 

 33 



