OK NEW ZEALAND. 37 



oval, nearly smooth, irregularly impressed in front ; labrum transversely 

 (juadrate, emarginate ; nientiiiii tooth bifid at apex, about two-thirds of 

 the length of the wings. Prothorax sub-quadrate, its length and breadth 

 very nearly equal, widest in front of the middle, the sides but Uttle 

 rounded, and a little sinuated near the rectangular posterior angles ; 

 the base and apex are emarginated, the basal fovese are rather long and 

 deep, situated midway between the angles and the well-defined dorsal 

 groove, and almost united by means of a transverse impression ; the 

 frontal depressions are not verj' obvious, there is a slight transverse 

 depression on the middle, and its whole surface is more or less finely 

 scratched transversely. The elytra are oblong-oval, sub-depressed, not 

 much wider than thorax, with acute humeral angles, near which they are 

 almost obliquely narrowed ; the sides are gradually rounded until 

 within a line of the apex, where, instead of the usual sinuation, they are 

 very abruptly contracted, and, at that point, angulated ; they bear finely 

 punctured striae, these are rather feeble, and are united by pairs at the 

 end, the seventh is bent and prolonged to the apex ; the scutellar striae 

 and puncture are distinct ; the interstices are slightly elevated, the 

 third, fifth, and seventh are considerably broader than the others ; the 

 marginal channels are well-defined, not at all rugose, and are impressed 

 with a row of punctures. Legs robust ; femora inflated ; the posterior 

 very much so, hollowed for the trochanter, and angulated in the middle 

 so as to be quite dentate in line with the tip of the trochanter ; the 

 tibice are somewhat incrassated towards the apex. 



Length, 9| ; breadth, 3I lines. 



I have seen only one mutilated individual which was found by Mr. 

 Joseph Beasely, at Parua, Whangarei Harbour. This distinct species 

 may be at once identified by the abrupt contraction of the apical 

 portion of the elytra, and dentate hind thigh. 



Holcaspis. 



Chaudoir. 



The genus Holcaspis resembles in general form the parallel species 

 of Pterostichus, having, like them, very short metathoracic episterna and 

 the marginal stria of the elytra duplicated towards the apex. It is 

 distinguished by the base of the scutellum being scored by a number of 

 short fine lines ; this character, however, is seen in some European 

 species of the Feronia group — e.g., Haptoderus abaxoides, DeJ., Tapiiiop- 

 teriis cephalotes, Gaut., and others. 



The above is appended by Mr- Bates to his description, or rather 

 remarks, on H. ovatella. 



I have not seen the original description which was published at 

 Moscow by Baron de Chaudoir, and I suspect it does not difler 

 materially from Pterostichiis. 



I do not see how the species of this sub-genus can be distinctly 

 separated from those belonging to Trichosternus by the striation of the 

 base of the scutellum, as the species of the latter genus which I 

 examined, including those I described recently, present exactly the same 

 appearance. 



