OF NEW ZEALAND. 1 63 



extremely fine, short, needle-scratch ; the one from the third impression 

 runs very obliquely towards the external stria. Except for these marks, 

 the elytra are quite smooth. The pyi:;iJiui/i and propygidium are 

 coarsely punctured. 



Obs. — The genus Sterna iiiax consists of only two species, viz., S. 

 zeaiandiais, Marseul, and a Madagascar species ; the present species 

 must be closely allied to Marseul's 6". zeaiandiais, but differs from his 

 figure and description by the striation of the elytra, and the want of 

 punctation at their apex. 



Note. — The above-cited description, according to Mr. G. Lewis, cor- 

 responds with Sternaulax zeaiandiais, Marseul; Dr. Sharp's name, there- 

 fore, must be sunk as a synonym, but I have retained his description. 

 The same insect had also been described by me {Trans. N.Z. Inst., 1876, 

 /• 372). 



Epierus. 



Erichson ; Lacord. Hist, dcs Ins. Coleop., Tom. \\., p. 269. 



Mandibles not projecting, unarmed, the inner side membraneous. 

 Head small, retractile, the forehead not distinctly separated from the 

 epistome. Antcnnce inserted on the sides in front, their club tri-articu- 

 late, oval, and compressed. Antennal cavities strongly marked. Fro- 

 thorax rounded at its base, narrowed and emarginated in front. Meso- 

 thoracic epiniem not visible above. 



Propygidium transversal, oblique ; pygidium semicircular, vertical. 

 Legs short ; tibic^ rather dilated ; the anterior somewhat distorted, den- 

 ticulated, with some short spines on the outer edge, their tarsal furrow 

 ill-defined ; the others with spine-like hairs, scanty and sometimes absent 

 on the hind pair. 



Prosterniim rather convex, truncated at its base, its chin-piece moder- 

 ate ; mesosterniim rounded in front. Body short, thick, oval, or elliptical. 



294. E. sylvanuS. n.s. Oviform, convex, of a moderately shin- 

 ing black colour, with the legs and antennas pitchy-red. 



Head very finely punctulated. Thorax transverse, rounded anteriorly ; 

 its surface finely and rather closely punctured, with a line of larger 

 punctures, yet none very coarse along the basal margin. Elytra almost 

 smooth ; each elytron with five somewhat curved grooves, and a less 

 obvious sutural stria ; these stria", are most deeply impressed near but do 

 not (^uite reach the base, and become obsolete posteriorly, and they are 

 almost imperceptibly punctured. Tibice very finely serrate on their outer 

 edge. 



Length, f line. 



I discovered this species at Tairua, but only found one or two ex- 

 amples ; it also occurs in the woods near W'hangarci Harbour. 



295. E. puruS, n.s. Somewhat similar to /:. sylvan its, but of a 

 moderately shining pitchy-black colour, the head reddish, legs and 



