COLEOPTERA 



499 



though how far this is due to its being rulibed oft' cannot be told from these two 

 specimens. The two last characters give apertns a very distinct appearance from 

 ci'latjis, in which the pubescence is conspicuous. 



Hab. Hawaii. The original specimen was found at Mauna Loa, 6000 feet 

 (Blackburn) ; the second one at Kona, 4000 feet (no. 327, Perkins). A third specimen 

 in the British Museum named apertus by Mr Blackburn agrees with our two indi- 

 viduals. H. S. 



(15) Ncsopctinus scottiamts, sp. nov. 



Nigricans, pedibus, antennis, prothoracis lateribus, elytrorumque epipleuris rufo- 

 testaceis ; elytris abdomineque interdum plus minusve rufescentibus vel flavescentibus ; 

 prothorace fortiter transverso, parum convexo, basi apiceque fere recte truncatis, 

 parallelis, lateribus leniter rotundatis, posterius haud late explanatis ; elytris seriebus 

 punctorum discretis. Long. 4 mm., Lit. \'i.\ \\ mm. 



The amount ot yellow colour on the elytra and abdomen varies greatly and some- 

 times there is none, but the side margins of the thorax are always narrowly yellow 

 above, and on the under-side broadly yellow ; the upper surface has frequently a 

 brassy tint. 



The species is in some ot its varieties very close to Ncsopeplits inanratits and 

 Nesopetinus cclatus ; it may however be usually easily distinguished by the shape and 

 colour of the thorax from both of those species. 



The sexes are a good deal different, and have a different range of variation. The 

 male is usually larger than the female and has the thorax broader, and more densely 

 punctured especially in front, and the head is slightly larger. The male has a well 

 marked notch at the apex of the pygidium, the angles forming short teeth : the female 

 has a short broad pygidium, nearly straight behind. In the female the yellow colour is 

 usually more extensive than it is in the male, and it is only in the female sex that 

 specimens with entirely yellow abdomen occur. 



From Nesopcplns inaiiratus the species can be distinguished, without examination 

 of the prosternum, by the thorax being more evenly and gently rounded at the sides, 

 with the margins comparatively less widely explanate behind. Large and well developed 

 individuals of the species are easy to recognise, but depauperated specimens in which 

 the sexual characters are diminished are very difficult to determine. 



The nearest ally of N. scoltiauus is N. cclafiis ; that species has a thorax longer in 

 proportion to the width, more narrowed in front, the explanation of the sides rather less, 

 and the yellow colour of the sides confined to the basal part. 



I have named this species in honour of my colleague, Mr Hugh Scott, who has 

 devoted a great deal of attention to these very difficult insects. 



We have a large series of about i 20 specimens of this species. 



