1878.] 23 



with Ph. australis (Chaudoir). It bears a strong resemblance to the 

 European Badister peltatus, from wbicb its swollen labial palpi at once 

 distinguisb it. It is smaller, and has a shorter thorax, the hind 

 angles having a broad smooth fovea, from which springs a strong 

 bristle. The pale margin of the elytra is confined to the reflexed rim. 

 Canterbury Province (C. M. Wakefield). 



Lecanomerus obesulus. 



Ohlongo-ovahts, convexus, suhaneo-niger, niiichis, antennis basi, palpis, tibiis 

 fapice piceo except oj tarsisqtte apice riifotestaceis ; marghiibus inflectis thoracis et 

 elytroriim plus minusve rufescentibus ; thorace transversim quadrato, lateribus ro- 

 tiuidatis, angidis posticis fere nulli.s,foveis basalibus sparsim grosse punctatis ; elytris 

 striatis, interstitiis paulo convexis, apice leviter sinuatis. 



$. Tarsis qicatiior anticis, articuUs 2 — 3 latissime dilatatis, 2^0 fere semi- 

 circulari, 3'o brevi. Long. 2j — 2i, $ $ . 



Distinguished from the other species of the genus by its greater 

 convexity and the sharper and deeper striation of the elytra. The 

 colour of the upper surface is shining black, with a faint brassy 

 metallic sheen on the elytra. The extreme lateral margins of the 

 thorax and the elytra are rufescent ; the two basal joints of the an- 

 tennse, the palpi and the basal half of the tibiae are also of the same 

 colour. The basal fovese of the thorax are coarsely but sparsely 

 punctured. 



West Coast, S. Island, numerous examples (C. M. Wakefield). 



Htphaepax abstrusus. 



II. antarctico proxime affinis, dimidio major. Oblongus, ceneo-niger, anten- 

 narum articulo 1™", tibiisque (apicibus exreptisj rifotestaceis : thorace transversim 

 quadrato, postice paulo magis qiiam antice angustato, lateribus antice late rotundatis, 

 angulis posticis paulo obtusis apice rotundatis, foveis basalibus sparsim grosse 

 punctatis : elytris apice oblique fortiter sinuatis, apud suturam productis, supra 

 undtilatis, sericeo-nitentibus (prcBcipiue ^), striatis, interstitio tertio apicem versus 

 puncto majori conspicuo. Long. 3 lin., ^ ^ • 



Agrees with H. ontardicus in almost everything except size ; 

 Castelnau giving 2\ lines as the length of that species, which agrees 

 with a very large number of specimens that I have examined. "The 

 feeble punctiform impression behind " of Castelnau's phrase also in- 

 dicates a difference between antarcticus and the present species, in 

 which the interstitial puncture is very large and conspicuous. When 

 the two species are compared, several other points of difference are 

 observable, which it is impossible to render clear by description. 



