OF NEW ZEALAND. 319 



Dr. Sharp states : — The following species seem to me not to differ 

 structurally from the European and North American Cyphon ; they 

 exhibit the following characters : — 



Small and short (or at any rate but little elongate) species. Head 

 short and broad, the interantennal portion but little produced forwards. 

 Antenme never very long. Antennal fossa absent. iMandiblcs but little 

 visible, being nearly entirely covered by the labrum. Maxillary palpi 

 rather short, the apical joint short, shorter than the third joint, and 

 acuminate. Labial palpi not furcate. Front band of prostermun 

 excessively reduced. Prosterual process very small, projecting but little 

 behind the front coxtt^, its termination blunt, not slender; it is placed at 

 right angles with the middle piece of the prosternum ; and the junction 

 between the two is quite as prominent as the tips of the coxse. 



I am unable, as above remarked, to find any characters to distinguish 

 these insects from the European Cyphon^ as defined by C. J. Thomson 

 and Mulsant. 



The New Zealand species which present the above characters are 

 very difficult to distinguish from one another ; and I have drawn uj) the 

 following table to facilitate the discrimination of the species I have here 

 described. It is well to add that this table should not be trusted to by 

 itself; for if so, it might mislead any one having before him a species 

 I have not seen. It is also necessary to explain what I mean by the 

 term " subocular line." If a European species of Cyphon (C. variabilis, 

 auct., e.g.) be examined, it will be noticed that there is on each side of 

 the head an acutely raised line extending from the base of the maxilla 

 to the hinder and outer part of the head, and separating the dull or 

 sculptured side of the head, in which the eye is placed, from the smooth 

 and shining under surface of the head. If, then, the New Zealand 

 CypJion be looked at, this genal line will be found in a similar position ; 

 but interposed between it and the eye will be observed another raised 

 line, which is quite wanting in the European insect. This line is what 

 I have referred to as the subocular line ; the space enclosed between it 

 and the genal line is smooth and shining. 



Table. 



^ , . I Head narrow, no subocular line ; granulation of head 



^" /, • ■ , and thorax conspicuous; elytra deeply impressed a 



. pat p . j \\\x\q distance behind the scutellum. 



C. puinilio. \ Head small, not elongate, not granulate, no sub- 



C. arduiis. } ocular line ; elytra not distinctly impressed. 



^ ... I Head rather broad, not elongate, subocular line indis- 



C. oscillans. .• ^ .u \ i ? i * ^ • j 



^ J. tmct ; thorax not granulate; elytra not nnpressed; 



'^ ' \ form rather broad. 



^ ^ , .^^. ^ \ Head rather narrow, subocular line absent ; thorax 



^ 'V' '\ ■ either very finely or quite distinctly granulate ; elytra 



■ -^ ^' ) indistinctly impressed near base; form rather narrow. 



C- zealandiciis. \ 



C. suifiisiis. '01 I V r ^• 

 „ ,-■{. ^ ,-bubocular hne distmct. 



C. laticcps. 1 



C. s:enalis. ) 



