87 



'.in. XI. ACTINOPTERYX. 



Actinopteryx australis. 



.1. australis, Matthews, Cist. Ent. i. p. 93, 1872. 



L. e. ,';. ,',. lin. 01'< ()-H7 mm. Oblongo-ovalis, sat depressa, pilie nitide 

 argi ni' i- 7i 3tita ; capite sat magno; pronoto maribua ad latera valde dilatato, ail 

 medium latissimo, fcemineia leviter rot'undato, punctis sat magnis, distinctis, 

 interstitiia glabris, nitidis, atque depressions lata, longitudinali atrinqui in disco 

 Lmpresso, margins basali fere recta, angulia acutis, vix productis; ■lutrix ail apii 

 parum attenuatis, confertim Bal profunde asperatis, lateribus modice rotundatia, 

 apicibus dilutioribua, parum rotundatis; abdomine attenuato, longius exserto; 

 pedibus atque antennia longis, gracillimis, pallide flavis. 



Body oblong-oval, rather 'li pressed, clothed with shining silver hair. 



Head large, much rounded in front, marked with rather large, distinct punctures; 

 eyes small, not prominent ; antenna- very long and slender, pale j-ellow, with 

 the three apical joints slightly incrassate. 



Thorax in the male la r . much broader hut scarcely longer than the 



head, wideal at the middle, sides much rounded and distinctly margined ; in 

 the female sUghtly rounded at the sides, widest near the base; in bol 

 marked with large and distincl punctures, with the interstices smooth e 

 Bhining, with a broad shallow longitudinal impression on each sidi uear tin 

 middle of the disc; basal margin nearly straight, with the angles acute, 



irerly produced. 

 •■ Hum small, triangular, n ■ ly asperal 



Elytra a little Longer than tie head ami thorax, slightly attenuated posteriorly, 

 moderately asperated in v< wavy rows, with a itudinal 



impression on each id. of tie Buture, Bides Bhghtly rounded and margined, 

 apex very little rounded, pale, with tie e white. 



Abdomen considerably exserted, attenuated towards the apex. 



Legs long and Blender, pali yellow, femora dusky 



Undei parts pitchy ca^aueous, with the mouth, coxa?, and apex of the venter pah-. 



!><> via in Bhape and sculpture, and in the short posterior angles of 



the thorax. 



Habitat, Australasia, hound on the shores of the Swan River by Mr. Brewer, and 

 in New Zealand by Mr. Lawson. 



This very distinct and remarkable species a] peculiar habit of 



covering its upper surface with mud alter the manner of Georys 



.. XII.— TRICHOPTERYX. 



Like Homalota among the Staphylinida, Trichopteryx contains a vast numl 

 of specie.-, which to the naked ey< . i spi cially of an inexperienci d obsi rver, pn 

 no obvious difference ; although wheu examined under a powerful mici they 



are found to differ from each other abundantly in outlu en< rally 



in both these characters. Some may possibly he climatic or local forms, hut 1 

 believe the vasl majority are true .-pecies of science at lea8t, if not of nature. 

 I say "of science," because wherever any reasonable doubl 

 better to - . than Injudiciously to amalgamati divei I 



also that the form which may bi led a- the original type is ofl 1 in 



the same region and under similar conditione ural climatic or 1 



variety, is Btrong evidence that tb< taUy distinct, and not th< 



