OF NEW ZEALAND. 415 



ceoiis, and the palpi are yellowish, with the margins of the cultriform 

 terminal joint black. The head is not very convex, a little less so in 

 front, and it is nearly covered with fine cinereous hairs. The thorax, 

 like the head and elytra, are sculptured in the same way as the prece- 

 ding species, and its clothing resembles that of the head ; it is, how- 

 ever, chiefly distributed on the base, sides, and two dorsal lines. The 

 elytra bear a greatly flexuous medial fascia, two rather large transverse 

 spots behind, and the. lower side of the body is more or less marked 

 with spots, all of which are white. 



TheT^rw of the body is very much the same as that of the previously 

 described species, but the elytra are slightly incurved near the middle, 

 and not very strongly narrowed posteriorly. The anterior tarsi are not 

 very elongate, being shorter than the tibise ; the intermediate, however, 

 are quite as long as the tibiee ; the spurs of the hind tibise are well- 

 developed, those of the others are small, and all the tibic?^ are somewhat 

 bent. The antennal joints five to ten are serrate, but the angles are 

 rather obtuse. 



Length, 3-3^ ; breadth, i line. 



These measurements refer to insects that have been well set out \ 

 under ordinary circumstances, that is, when simply pinned, with the 

 head deflexed, the size would not exceed three lines. I believed this 

 species to be identical with (or merely a variety of) M. defracta, but 

 Dr. Sharp, to whom I sent some specimens, being of a different opinion, 

 I have given it a distinct specific name, derived from the locality at 

 which I found it. 



Mordellistena. 



Nov. gen. 



732. M. jucunda, n.s. This species is of a light caslaneous 

 brown colour, with the head and thoracic dorsal space piceous ; the 

 clothing consists of pale yellow hairs, which, on the head, are rather 

 fine and dense, those on the thorax are chiefly confined to the base and 

 sides, and the elytral pubescence is unevenly distributed, but sometimes 

 assumes the form of an oblique line proceeding from the shoulder, and 

 almost uniting with an indistmct irregularly formed fascia near the 

 middle. The antemuz are infuscate, the third joint is obconical, joints 

 four to ten serrate, eleventh ovate. The maxillary palpi are fus- 

 cous, and their last joint securiform. The legs are rather short, and 

 testaceous in colour, the tarsi are moderately robust, the front pair 

 shortest. The body is arched, finely punctulated and sub-parallel, the 

 elytra being a little narrowed in front, and but little rounded till near 

 the apex, and the abdominal process is less elongate than usual in 

 Mordella. The tibice are somewhat flexuous, the spurs of the middle 

 pair small, those of the hind rather long. 



Length, 2| lines. 



I found very few examples of this species at Tairua. I have used 

 Mordellistena as its generic name, and the characters given above will 

 serve to distinguish it from Mordella. 



733. M. neglectum, «.^. Moderately ^-///////'/^j,'- bluish-black, finely 

 punctured and pubescent, with the last joint of the maxillary palpi some- 



