OF NEW ZEALAND. 1311 



Head smooth. Antcnncc elongate, second joint shorter and nar- 

 rower than the tirst, second and third about equally elongate and 

 slender ; fifth and sixth oblong ; seventh and eighth much larger 

 than the preceding two, obconical ; ninth and tenth nearly equal, 

 each much larger than the eighth ; eleventh largest, suboblong. 

 Prothorax lixxge, smooth. Scutellum distinct. Elytra with irregular 

 series of fine punctures. Legs moderate, tibiae curved ; basal joint 

 of the posterior tarsi longer than second and narrowed towards the 

 base, second transverse, third bilobed, fourth elongate. 



This, the broadest species known as yet, instead of being hemi- 

 spherical may be said to be of a rounded quadrate form. None of 

 the other small species possess such elongate antennas. 



Length, f ; breadth, nearly f line. 



I found one on a log at Stratford, Taranaki. 



Obs. — Unfortunately the members of this genus are excessively 

 rare. Dr. Sharp, no doubt, founded the genus on a female sj)ecimen, 

 as he describes the tarsi as " moderately slender." I find that the 

 anterior are usually rather shorter than the others, and, in the males, 

 the basal joint is strongly developed ; at any rate I, at present, con- 

 sider A. punctatum and A. monstrosuvi as true representative 

 males, whilst A. sobrinum, though, most likely, a male also, has 

 rather more slender tarsi. The scutellum is sometimes quite in- 

 visible, but on the other hand it is often moderately large. 



Group-H ALTICID^ . 



Trachytetra. 



Nov. gen. 

 (Sharjo ; Trans. Roy. Dub. Soc, Nov., 1886.) 



Acctabuke anteriores apertse ; pronotum absque sulca transversa ; 

 tibiae posteriores apice breviter calcarato ; metasternum brevissi- 

 mum, 



Antcnnce moderately long and stout, eleven-jointed ; anterioi- 

 coxae only slightly separated ; mesosternum not in the least im- 

 pressed ; metasternum so short that the hind coxae are only slightly 

 separated from the middle ; hind coxce moderately separated ; femora 

 strongly dilated ; hind tibia slender, armed at the apex with a short 

 mucro directed outwards ; tarsi rather short, their basal joint one- 

 third of the length of the tibia ; claw- joint small ; claios minute ; 

 the other tibiae without mucro ; epiptcura rather narrow, completely 

 disappearing some distance before the extremity. 



Obs. — This genus has for its type the remarkable little Halticid 

 described by me several years ago under the name Pliyllotreta rugic- 

 losa. It must now become known as Trachytetra ritgulosa. I 

 pointed out at the time that it was an aberrant form, &c. Dr. 

 Sharp further states that it may be placed near Pliyllotreta, from 

 which it is distinguished by the very abbreviate metasternum. — T. B. 

 22 — PT. V. 



