312 COLEOPTERA 



Form narrow and elongate. AuteniuE rather long. Head exserted, 

 rather elongate, the interantennal portion not extended forwards ; the 

 antennal fossa profound, and at its termination separating the gena from 

 the base of the maxilla. Mandibles large and exserted, their basal portion 

 exposed, and the labrum and the membraneous space separating it from 

 front of head scarcely to be detected (except in Atopida lawsoni). 

 Labial /^T/^/ very small and not furcate. Maxillary palpi short. Front 

 band oi prosteiiutm short, but not so excessively reduced as in the pre- 

 ceding groups ; prosternal process elongate-hastate, projecting much 

 behind the front coxse, its junction in front with the middle piece of 

 prosternum on a level with the tips of the coxsb. 



The most striking feature of this group is the great exposition of the 

 mandibles by the reduction of the labrum and membraneous front of the 

 head ; in these respects, however, Atopida lawsoni, although it has 

 quite the appearance of the other two species, is intermediate between 

 them and Cyphanus dehi/is, so that in so far as that character goes A. 

 lawsoni might be considered to connect the two groups ; but as the 

 remarkable labial palpi of the Cyphanus group strongly differentiate it, 

 Atopida lawsoni is at present classed with the other species I have 

 called Atopida. 



560. A. lawsoni, Sharp ; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1878, 

 /. 47. A. angnst//la, sat convexa, fusco-castanea, antennarum basi 

 elytrisque dilutioribus, pedibus testaceis ; eapite exserto, dense granuloso- 

 punctato, opaco; niandibulis porrectis; antennis elongatis, articulo tertio 

 elongato, quarto longitudine asquali ; thorace valde transverso, elytris 

 angustiore, basin versus angustato, anterius subtruncato, anguhs ante- 

 rioribus acutis, basi elytris applicata, anguhs posterioribus subrectis, 

 dense granuloso-punctato, granulis ante basin minus confertis ; elytris 

 nitidis, fortiter sat crebre punctatis. 



Long., 5-^- mm. ; lat, 2 mm. 



Though closely similar to the following species, this is evidently quite 

 distinct ; the thorax is broader and the sculpture is less dense, the elytra 

 are more coarsely punctured, and the pubescence of the upper surface is 

 less. Structurally, however, this species is very distinct from the follow- 

 ing ones, by the fact that its labrum is much more largely developed and 

 is quite exposed, its lateral portions being elongate, while the middle is 

 very short, so that the general shape of the labrum in front is a broad 

 curve. 



The only specimen at my disposal is one sent by Mr. Thomas Law- 

 son, from Auckland ; I have named the species after him. 



561. A. brouni, Sharp; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1878,/'. 

 47. A. angustula, sat convexa, castanea, eapite thoraceque rufo-obscuris, 

 pedibus testaceis 5 eapite exserto, dense granuloso-punctato, opaco, man- 

 dibulis porrectis ; antennis elongatis, articulo tertio elongato, quarto 

 longitudine sequali ; thorace transverso, elytris multo angustiore, basin 

 versus angustato, anterius sub-truncato, angulis anterioribus acute rectis, 

 basi elytris applicata, angulis posterioribus subrectis, toto dense granu- 



