973 COLfiOPTfiRA 



Australia, and the European Mesites are the only cognate forms so 

 far as the shape of the thorax is concerned. The rostrum is peculiar, 

 very OtiorhyricMis-like. 



1754- E. optimUS, '2-s. Shining, rufo-piceous ; the sides of 

 the elytral disc infuscate, a broad ante-apical space yellow ; legs 

 clear yellow, but with the base of the thighs and the knees 

 brownish ; antennae and tarsi red ; it is clothed with a few minute, 

 greyish hairs. 



Bostrum shorter than thorax, wider before than behind the 

 antennae, moderately coarsely punctured. Antenna with grey hairs ; 

 the two basal joints of the funiculus of about equal length, second 

 more slender than first, the others transverse ; club ovate, densely 

 pubescent. Head smooth, and not in the least contracted, behind 

 the eyes. Thorax oblong, scarcely curved laterally, suddenly nar- 

 rowed at the apex, deeply bisiuuate at base ; uneven yet nearly 

 plane above, with a longitudinal depression (rather closely and some- 

 times confluently punctured) on each side of the middle separated 

 by a narrow smooth line, which, when looked at sideways, appears 

 like a carina ; the punctation of the rest of its surface irregular, 

 rather coarse, but on some parts rather distant. Elytra abruptly 

 broader than thorax at the base, where they are strongly arcuated, 

 not parallel, but gradually narrowed towards the extremity ; rather 

 flat above, somewhat impressed near the middle, striate-punctate, 

 the grooves distinct, but the punctation quite obsolete behind, the 

 middle portion without striae, interstices smooth, the third, fifth, and 

 seventh sub-carinate at base. 



Length, 2^ lines ; breadth, |. 



Detected on the underside of a log at Stratford, near the base of 

 Mount Egmont. 



Pselactus. 



Nov. gen. 



Body stout, transversely convex. Bostrum parallel ; scrobes 

 oblique. Eyes oviform, depressed. Antenna implanted medially ; 

 scape short, much curved, its extremity incrassate ; funiculus longer 

 than scape, 7-articulate ; club distmct, ovate. Head convex, not 

 constricted behind. Thorax as long as broad, base and apex trun- 

 cate, sides obtusely rounded. Scutellum invisible. Elytra rather 

 short, broader than thorax, oblong, abruj)tly deflexed behind. Legs 

 moderate, laterally compressed ; tibice nearly straight, their hooks 

 strongly developed ; tarsi elongate and slender, sparsely pilose below, 

 basal and apical joints equally elongate, tliird slightly expa,nded and 

 lobate ; claws small. Anterior coxes prominent and narrowly sepa- 

 rated, posterior distant. Metasternum not elongate. Epipleura very 

 narrow. Two basal segments of abdomen large, the suture much 

 sinuated, third and fourth short, with deep sutures, 



A form approaching the Scolytidce, somewhat similar to Inosomus 

 (No. 1312). 



^755- P. punctatus, 'i.s. Robust, transversely convex, shghtly 



