OF NEW ZEALAND. 317 



indistinct. Mandibles slender, greatly crossed in repose, and therefore 

 projecting but little beyond the front of the much-exposed labrum. 

 Maxillary palpi elongate, slender, the apical joint slender, and so not 

 appearing acuminate, longer than the preceding joint. Labial palpi not 

 furcate. Front band of prostcruiim short, but not excessively reduced, 

 prosternal process small, hastate, pointed behind, its junction in front 

 with the middle piece of the prosternum on a level witli the tips of the 

 coxie. 



It is impossible to unite the four following insects in a first synthesis 

 with Group Seven ( Cyplion), unless intermediate forms are discovered ; 

 they differ from the Cyphones by the maxillary palpi, by the less-reduced 

 front band of the prosternum, and by the acuminate prolongation of the 

 prosternal process. Mesocyphon divergeiis in its appearance departs much 

 from the other three species ; but I have not discovered any important 

 points to differentiate it from them. I suspect the species of this group 

 will ultimately prove to be rather numerous. 



572. M. marmoratus, Sharp ; Auu. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 

 1878, /. 50. M. aiigiistiihis, ferrugineus, capite, thorace, pectore 

 antennisque extrorsum plus minusve infuscatis, elytris nigro testaceoque 

 variegatis, pedibus testaceis ; antennis sat elongatis ; capite angustulo, 

 thorace paulo angustiore densissime punctato, omnino opaco, oculis 

 prominulis ; thorace parvo, elytris multo angustiore. densissime punctato, 

 peropaco, anterius subtruncato, angulis anterioribus deflexis, haud pro- 

 ductis. lateribus vix curvatis, posterioribus leviter angustatis, basi rotun- 

 data, angulis posterioribus obtusis haud rotundatis ; elytris crebre indis- 

 tincte punctatis, sat nitidis. 



Long., 3^ mm.: lat., \\ mm. 



The colouration of the elytra is so variable that it is generally not 

 quite similar on the two wing-cases of an individual ; it is a kind of 

 marbling, somewhat like what exists in the genus Heterocerus. I can see 

 no certain sexual characters in the individuals before me. 



I received half a dozen individuals from Captain Broun, founil ai 

 Tairua two or three years ago. 



573. M. Setiger, Sharp; Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., July, 1878, 

 p. 50. M. angustulus, fusculus, abdomine, antennaruia basi pedibusque 

 testaceis, prothoracis marginibus elytrorumque summa basi ferrugincis ; 

 densissime punctatus, opacus ; elytris marmoratis, brevissime pubes- 

 centibus, et prjcterea setis minutissimis munitis ; capite angustulo, quam 

 thorax paulo angustiore, densissime punctato, omnino opaco, oculis pro- 

 minulis ; thorace elytris multo angustiore, antrorsum truncate, angulis 

 anterioribus rotundatis, lateribus rectis, versus basin nullo modo angus- 

 tatis, angulis posterioribus rotundato-obtusis. 



Long., 3^ mm. ; lat., i§ mm. 



At first sight this might be considered a dark variety of Mcsocyphou 

 marvioratus ; but it is really very distinct ; the thorax is rather different 

 in form ; the sculpture of the elytra is very fine and dense, so that ihey 

 are (juite dull, their pubescence is excessively short, but mixed with it 



