71 8 COLEOPTERA 



1269. S. fatUUS, fi-s. Body densely squamose, variegate; the 

 clothing of the head, beak, and thorax being greyish-brown, the shoulders 

 and elytral disc griseous, the rest piceo-fuscous ; femora blackish, but 

 their base and dentiform process castaneous ; tibiae and tarsi variegated 

 brown ; antennoe of a chestnut colour, club dull. 



The insect is almost exactly like S. crassus in form, but the rostrum, 

 head, and thorax are less depressed longitudinally, and the chtra are 

 nearly plane above, the ordinary compressed tubercular elevations being 

 barely discernible from above, and they are nearly destitute of the other 

 smaller tubercles observable in that species ; the ■^iniQxiox femora are less 

 inflated and angulated. 



Length (rost. incl), if; breadth, | line. 



My two specimens were found in the neighbourhood of Whangarei 

 Harbour. 



Scolopterus (p. 472). 



1270. S. seneorufus, n.s. Colour dark glossy bronzed red; ros- 

 trum red, legs infuscate-red, tarsi and antennae piceous. 



Rostrum smooth along the middle, finely punctured on its sides. Pro- 

 thorax transversely rugulose, sparingly punctured, and almost unim- 

 pressed on the dorsal space. Elytra striate-punctate ; their shoulders 

 are obtusely produced ; the posterior protuberances are rather blunt and 

 not directed backwards, except just at the extremity, and the hairs are 

 placed in front of the point, so that when viewed from the side the apex 

 appears to be formed of two distinct parts. Antennce long and slender. 



If this species be compared with ^S". tetracaiithus, the only one for 

 which it is likely to be mistaken, it will be seen that the base of the elytron, 

 just beyond the thorax, is perceptibly curved backwards, and the angles 

 themselves are thicker, less prominent, and a little depressed, which is not 

 the case in that species. 



Length (rost. excl.), 3 lines; breadth, i^ across the shoulders. 



I found my unique example near Whangarei Harbour. 



Nyxetes (p. 47-1) ■ 



1 27 1. N. ruflpes, ''•-? • Body glossy, black tinged with red; rostrum 

 and femora red. tibire rufo-piceous, antennae and tarsi piceous. 



Antenna; rather short ; the three basal joints of the funiculus notably 

 shorter than the corresponding ones of iV. hidens. Rostrum smooth along 

 the middle, punctate elsewhere. Head distantly punctured, with an 

 elongate punctiform impression on the vertex ; eyes not projecting. 

 Prothorax of normal shape, finely wrinkled transversely, with a few 

 fine, short hairs. Elytra punctate-striate, the sculpture regular ; the 

 spines are large, placed just in front of the hind legs, directed laterally, 

 and, if anything, towards the front. 



This species dilTers from the typical one, the Curculio bidens of Fabri- 

 cius, in being smaller, with shorter antennae, less prominent eyes, and 

 relatively larger elytral spines, not at all pointed backwards as in that 

 species. 



Length (rost. excl.), 2| lines; breadth, across the spines, 2. 



I found the only individual I possess near Whangarei Heads. 



