liv Airraui! m. lea. 313 



COSSONIDES. 



Mastersinella, n.g. 



Head small. Eyes small, prominent, coarsely granulate. 

 Rostrwm cylindrical, parallel, ehjngate. Antennce thick; funicle 

 8-jointed: club 3-jointed. Protliorax distinct!}^ widest behind, 

 distinctly longer than wide. Scntellum small, distinct. Elytra 

 slightly wider than prothorax, subcylindrical, apex acuminate. 

 Anterioi' coxct subappro.ximate; tibial hook sharp, very distinct; 

 tarsi pseudo-tetramerous. Body fusiform, strongly sculptured, 

 glabrous. 



The eight-jointed funicle renders this genus at once distinct 

 from any recorded by Mr. AVollaston; though, had specimens been 

 before him, he might have considered it necessary to form a special 

 group (as 'in Xotiomimetidm) to receive it. So far as I am 

 capable of judging, its neax*est Australian ally (although possessing 

 a five-jointed funicle) appears to be Microcossonus (of which a 

 species is herein recorded from New South Wales). Consequently 

 I propose to treat it as an aberrant form belonging to the 

 Pentarthrides. 



Mastersinella 8-articulata, n.sp. 



Dull red; rostrum and base of prothorax feebl}" tinged with 

 piceous. Legs with feeble greyish pubescence. Head impunctate, 

 a few coarse punctures between eyes, rostrum with coarse scattered 

 punctures densest towards apex; prothorax with regular shallow 

 punctures; elytra striate-punctate, the punctures large, shallow, 

 approximate, tinged with piceous, interstices smooth. Under side 

 of head feebly transversely strigose, sterna and alternate portions 

 of abdomen with large shallow punctures. 



Rostrum once and one-half as long as head, feebly equally 

 dilated towards apex; '1st joint of funicle wider than long, narrow 

 at base, apex truncate, rounded outwardly, inwardly excavated. 

 Prothorax subconvex, not once an 1 one-half as long as wide, 

 sides rounded, apex narrowed and feebly constricted, base feebly 

 bisinuate. Elytra slightly wider than prothorax, parallel-sided to 

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