BUPRIOSIIÜ GENUS ASTRAEÜS. 99 



first just at the base, the second before the midille and the 

 third, a large elongate one, midway between the foregoing and 

 the apex. Beneath daik bronzy-green, shining, legs rod. 



Head thickly but finely punctured; hairy. Prothorax convex, 

 in the middle, just before the median lobe, strongly conically 

 elevated, sides gently rounded and slightly narrowed towards the 

 top; densely riigosely punctate, strigose on the elevated part; 

 hairy. Elytra gradually narrowed towards the top, apices not 

 strongly divergent, suturai and marginal spines rather short and 

 obtuse, humeral fold rather small, angularly produced; costate, 

 interstices plain , moderately transversely wrinkled and with a row 

 of large distant punctures on each. Underneath coarsely punctured , 

 the abdomen much more finely and densely ; entirely clothed , legs 

 included, with a dense silvery pubescence. 



Tw^o specimens in coll. Oberthiir. 



12. Astraeus vittatus v. d. Poll. — nov. spec. 



Nitidus, supra niffer, capite prothormeque suh-aenesceulihus , eli/ tris 

 obscure violaceis ; singula elytra ad latera vitta flava angusta 

 et in medio vitta lata irregulari ornata; subtus obscure purpureo- 

 brunneus, pedibus rubris. Caput confertim punctatum. Prothorax 

 subcoìivexus , later ihus apicem versus subrotundato-angustatis ; profunde 

 punctata^, subtilius in disco. Elytra costata, interstitiis plants, 

 punctatis, patdulum, plicatis ; apicibus mediocriter divergentûtus , spinis 

 suturalibus marginalibusque brevibus. Pars infera densissiìne minu- 

 tissimeque punctata. Caput, thorax et pars infera pubescentia densa 

 sericea induta. 



Long. 10 mm., lat. 4 mm. 



Habitat: N. W. Australia. 



Shining; head and tliorax black with purplish reflections, the 

 latter bronzy-green in the middle , the elytra dark violaceous , each 

 of them with a broad, somewhat irregular yellow stripe close to 

 the suture , originating at the base and stopping near the apex , and 

 a narrower stripe along the outer margin , being somewhat shorter 



