CNEMACANXniDAK . 27 1 



length oi thorax ; on each there are 5 feebly impressed finely punctured 

 striae with plane interstices, which are more or less finely wrinkled behind 

 the middle, the 6th stria is broader and irregulai-ly sculptured, some of the 

 punctures near the base and extremity being larger than the others, the 7th 

 and 8th striae are shallow but their punctation is close, that of the former 

 rather coarser than the latter, the lateral punctures behind the middle are 

 very coarse and distant, the whole of the apical sculpture is coarse and 

 irregular. 



Antennae with distinct pubescence on the 5th and following joints. 

 Front and middle tibiae with prominent outer angles, the latter asperate, 

 the posterior simple. Terminal joint of maxillary palpi truncate at the 

 extremity but only moderately thick. Mentum tooth minutely bifid. 



Underside shining black. Flanks of prosternum distinctly but not very 

 closely punctured. Abdomen finely wrinkled near the sides, the last seg- 

 ment transversely strigose, bipunctate at each side of the middle at the apex. 



This hardly at all resembles M. halli, and is unlike any other in my 

 collection. Castelnau's M. iitipressum., 16, from Dunedin, is described as 

 being of a rather brilliant dark-copper colour, with the front angles of the 

 thorax covered with a dense punctation, and with 3 or 4 rather large puncti- 

 form impressions between the 7th and 8th elytral striae. In M. hdtense 

 the interval between these striae is so narrow, and almost obliterated behind 

 the middle, that only very minute punctures could be placed there. Although 

 I have not seen M. iinpressum , I have no doubt it is the nearest ally of 

 M. hdtense. 



S- Length, 21 mm. ; breadth, 6| mm. 



Mount Hutt. Unir^ue ; one caught by Mr. T. Hall on the 15th March, 

 1913, at a height of 4,500 ft. 



3681. Mecodema persculptum sp. no v. 



Subdepressed, elongate, moderately shining ; black, legs, antennae, and 

 palpi piceous. 



Head rather narrower than thorax and, including the mandibles, equal- 

 ling it in length ; densely, coarsely, and irregularly rugose in front, coarsely 

 and closely punctate, and with short rugose interstices behind ; labrum 

 subtruncate, with an obvious basal depression. Eyes prominent, about 

 etjuidistant from the thorax and antennae. Thorax a fifth broader than 

 long, its sides finely crenulate, not expanded, slightly rounded for two- 

 thirds of the length, a good deal curvedly narrowed behind, the base much 

 contracted and straight-sided, with obtuse angles ; disc closely, coarsely, 

 and irregularly rugose, the rugae here and there interrupted by short longi- 

 tudinal impressions and more or less finely punctured ; base and apex 

 slightly emarginate, both scored with deep longitudinal, somewhat irregular 

 striae, the base, in addition thereto, with numerous punctures ; median 

 furrow well marked but abbreviated, basal fossae deep but not large. 

 Elytra oblong-oval, only a sixth broader than thorax, 2| times its length, 

 rather wider than it is at the base, only moderately narrow^ed behind ; their 

 sculpture consists of coarse oblong or punctiform impressions, these are 

 subseriate near the suture but become more rotundate and irregulai-, and a 

 little deeper towards the sides, the usual smooth lateral space is narrow. 



Undeiside shining black. Prosternum slightly wrinkled and punctate in 

 the middle, its flanks more coarsely punctured, its process broadly grooved. 

 Metasternum and posterior coxae rugose. Abdomen nearly smooth along 

 the middle, with some fine punctures and irregular wrinkles near the sides. 



