OF NEW ZEALAND. 1359 



the eyes ; they are elongate and fiHform, and are composed of eleven 

 joints. Maxillary _/;aiIjji rather short, their terminal joint subovate, 

 not at all cultriform. Tarsi live-jointed, tapering ; joints 1— i of the 

 posterior a little acuminate at the outer extremity, fifth joint slender, 

 claws small. 



The mctasternum is marked off by a fine suture just behind the 

 middle coxae ; at the sides it is very short, but near the middle it 

 extends backwards to the second ventral segment ; its lateral 

 borders are oblique, the apices are strongly rounded individually, 

 leaving a gap between them ; it is level with the mesosternum, but on 

 a higher plane than the abdomen, the hind-legs therefore can be 

 accommodated between these two parts of the body, and the point 

 of articulation, being below the lamina-like metasternum, is com- 

 pletely hidden. The abdomoi consists of five segments ; the basal is 

 the largest ; the ordinary conical prolongation of the last segment, 

 as seen in Mordella, is entirely absent. The intermediate coxal cavi- 

 ties, on the inside and in front, have raised, thickened, nearly lunate 

 borders. The anterior femora are more slender than the middle 

 pair. The middle tibice are short ; they are gradually expanded, 

 their extremity is oblique and acutely produced at the external 

 angle, on the inside bispinose. The posterior tibics are longer, their 

 sides are somewhat curved, and the apex, though similarly formed, 

 has only one spine. The front tarsi are not in the least dilated ; 

 they are, in fact, more slender than the posterior. 



In repose, the front of the head almost overlaps the anterior 

 coxae. The front legs are placed alongside each other along the 

 middle of the body ; the last two joints of the tarsi reach the second 

 abdominal segment. The middle femur is directed forwards, the 

 tibia obliquely backwards, and the tarsus lies along the side. The 

 hind legs and their point of junction with the body are quite con- 

 cealed ; the tarsi only are exposed to view. 



There are too many points of resemblance between this genus 

 and Mordella to allow their affinity to be ignored ; at the same time, 

 there are important disparities of structure that necessitate the 

 formation of a new group. For this group I propose the name 

 Gryptomeridce ; the differentiating characters are indicated above. 

 Apeosina is a cognate form ; in its two species the hind thighs 

 and trochanters are visible, but the articulation is concealed. 



2380. C. nigra, i^-^- Compact, oviform, elongate ; black, 

 shining ; covered with fine, depressed, ash-coloured pubescence ; 

 head reddish, legs nearly black, tarsi infuscate, sometimes rufescent. 



Head minutely punctured ; with a frontal groove, which is bent 

 backwards at each side, and forms a curve behind the antennal 

 insertion. Eyes distinctly facetted, slightly emarginate at the inner 

 side. Antennce, fuscous, the three or four basal joints paler ; the 

 second and fourth longer than the contiguous joints. Thorax trans- 

 verse, narrowed towards the front, the base oblique towards each 

 side, the apex truncate, the sides marginated, the hind angles less 

 rounded than the anterior ; the sculpture of its surface is like that 

 25 — PTS. v., VI. 



