124 COLEOPTERA 



Bryaxis. 



Leach; Lacord. Hist, des Itis. Co/iop., Tom. \i.,p. 174. 



Maxillary palpi four-jointed ; the basal joint very small ; second, 

 rather long, and somewhat clavate ; third small, sub-globular, and 

 angulated externally ; fourth oval or fusiform, terminated by a small 

 membraneous appendage. Head triangular, having in front, on each 

 side, a small antennal fossa. The antennce are rather long, with ten or 

 eleven joints, and terminating in a long club ; their intermediate joints 

 of variable form, often moniliforni. Prothorax more or less narrowed 

 behind, dilated laterally either in front of or near the middle. Elytra 

 convex. Abdomen edged laterally, of variable length, its first segment 

 in general very large. Legs long ; their tarsi with three joints, of which 

 the first is very small, and the following two long, nearly equal, the last 

 terminated by a single claw. 



Body moderately long, convex. 



228. B. inflata, Sharp ; Trans. Entom. Soc., 1874, Dee., p. 497. 

 Fiiosa, nitida, rufescens, capite prothoraceque picescentibus ; vertice 

 foveis duabus magnis ; prothorace basi trifoveolata, foveis lateralibus 

 magnis, sulco curvato profundo conjunctis ; elytris abbreviatis, 'apice 

 utrinque fortiter sinuatis, estriatis ; abdomine valde convexo ; metasterno 

 brevissimo. 



Long. Corp., 2^- mm. 



Alas. Abdomine segmento 2" ventrali apice medio leviter emarginato, 

 seg. 4° basi tuberculo parvo, 6*^ leviter impresso. 



Ante7incB pilose, rather stout, fifth joint distinctly longer than the 

 contiguous ones ; ninth joint hardly broader than the eighth ; tenth 

 transverse, nearly twice as broad as the ninth ; eleventh joint large, a 

 little broader than the tenth, distinctly pointed at the extremity. 

 Apical joints of maxillary palpi stout. The part of the head in front 

 of the antennse distinctly rostrate ; the upper surface of the head with 

 two very large pubescent foveas between the eyes. 



Thorax sub-globose, in front of the base with a very deep curved 

 impression, terminating on each side in a large fovea, and in its middle 

 impressed with a small and not very distinct fovea. 



Elytra not longer than the thorax, rounded at the sides and greatly 

 narrowed at the base ; convex, without striae or humeral impression, but 

 emarginate on each side at the extremity. 



Hind-body very convex, all its dorsal segments about equal in length. 



Of this very distinct species several specimens have been sent from 

 Auckland, by Mr. T. Lawson. 



Note. — I found a few individuals at Tairua. 



229. B. Sharpi, n.s. The facies of this species so much 

 resembles that of B. inflata, that the two insects are apt to be con- 

 founded ; the head, thorax, and hind-body are dark-red, the antenna?, 

 legs, and palpi are yellowish-red of variable shades, the antennse gene- 



