[Proc. Eoy. Soc. Victokia 27 (N.S.), Part II., 1914. 



Ar']'. XVI. — Notes on Australian and Tasmanian. Scydmaenidae, 

 ivitk Descriptions of New Species. ' 



By ARTHUR M. LEA. 



[Read November 12tb. 191 4]. 



Xu family of beetles of equal extent in Australia and Tasmania 

 has been so much neglected as the Scydin-aenidae. Probably this 

 has been largely on account of the unsatisfactory descriptions by 

 the late Rev. R. L. King. So that, apart from the species named 

 by him, very few liave been recorded from Australia. The refer- 

 ences are as follows : — 



1. King, Trans. Ent. Soc. N.S. AVales. I., pp. 91-99. 



2. Macleay, I.e. II., y>. 155. 



3. Sharp, Trans. Ent. Soc. London, 1874, p. 515. 



4. Lea, Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, 1905, p. ."577. 



5. Lea, I.e. 1907, p. 153. 



6. Lea, I.e., 1910, pp. 181-189. 



7. Lea, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales. 1911. p. 456. 



Some years ago I carefully examined all of King's and .Macleay's 

 types, now in the Ansti-alian Museum; and received from that 

 institution most of their species. But for these circumstances I 

 should probably have had to pass over all l>ut a few of the species 

 here described. 



On prepai'ing to work at a particular group of insects I usually 

 write to many of my entomological correspondents, requesting the 

 loan of specimens of the group ; but with the Sej/dmaenidae the 

 species in external appearance are so much alike, and the prepara- 

 tory work is so extensivel, and often unsatisfactory, 2 that I felt 

 indisposed to do so in tliis instance. Mr. H. H. D. Griffith, how- 

 ever, allowed me to examine his collection of the family, and to 

 retain such specimens as 1 desired. From Mr. H. W. Davey and 

 others some ants' nest species were obtained, but these were noted 

 elsewhere ;3 a few were obtained from correspondents in the ordinary 

 course of exchange, and a few sent from the British Museum for 



1. The majority of Australian collectors at present, iiiifortuiiatel.'s', seldom set out the legs 

 and anteimae of their beetles. 



2. With siii!;?le specimens it is often difficult to jiidnc wliutlier tlie absence of clothingf from 

 certain parts may be natural or due to abrasion. 



3. In I'roc. Koy. Soe. Victoria, lOtO, pp. ISl-lSit. 



