LEBIIDAE. 371 



('lil3ping\s Bush and Staircase, from 1,500 ft. to 3,500 ft. Ten found by 

 Mr. T. Hall durinii January and March, 1914, and one from Mr. M. O. Pasco, 

 found on Ben Lomond. 



Group Pericalidae. 



3818. Scopodes instabilis sp. nov. Sco])odes Erichson, Man. N.Z. Coleopt., 

 p. 67. 



Subdepressed, glossy black, slightly aeneous ; legs, antennae, and palpi 

 nigro-piceous. 



Head large, smooth, the space between the hind part of the eyes as 

 wide as the thoracic apex, the frontal portion rather narrower. Eyes large 

 and prominent, extending outwardly as far as the middle of thorax. 

 Thorax of about equal length and breadth, widest before the middle, 

 slightly and obtusely angulate, and with a setigerous puncture there, at 

 each side, gradually narrowed behind ; lateral margins distinct, ending just 

 before the true base, and there bent inwardly, and more slender, for a very 

 short distance only, without forming angles ; its surface apparently smooth, 

 yet densely and very minutely sculptured, mesial groove distinct, extend- 

 ing from the basal depression to the oblique frontal impressions. Elytra 

 fully thrice the length of thorax, twice its breadth behind the middle, with 

 curvedly narrowed, distinctly margined shoulders, and subtruncate, slightly 

 oblique apices ; their striae shallow, sometimes obsolete towards the sides, 

 more distinct near the suture, interstitial punctures usually indefinite. 



S. laevigatus (135), which I have not seen, is described as being, as is 

 also the head, unusually narrow, with a short, rounded, cordate thorax. 

 *S'. laevistriatus (1474) may be at once separated by its nearly obsolete 

 humeral margins. S. cognatns (1570), from south-east Otago, has well- 

 marked longitudinal striae on the head ; the thorax is evidently broader 

 before the middle, distinctly angulate there, and more obliquely narrowed 

 I)ehind. and there are some fine striae across it. 



Length, 3f mm. ; breadth, If mm. 



Moa Basin, west of Mount Algidus. The type was found by Mr. T. Hall 

 on the 20th October, 1913, and after diligent explorations of Point Hill 

 and Mistake Basin the following varietal forms were obtained : (a) Head 

 unisulcate near each eye, feebly striate, the thorax transversely so ; 

 [h) similar, but with an interccular fovea ; (c) lateral margins of thorax 

 more or less distinctly prolonged half-way across the true base. Mr. Hall 

 also secured several specimens of 132, a pair of 131, and another of 1813. 



Group Sphaeridiidae. 



3819. Stygnohydrus posticalis sp. nov. Stygnohjdrus Broun, Man. N.Z. 

 Coleopt., p. 1336. 



Ovate, attenuate posteriorly, very convex, glabrous, glossy aeneo-niger ; 

 thoracic lateral margins, the elytral suture along the posterior declivity 

 only, and their apices, dull rufo-castaneous ; tibiae dark rufous ; palpi and 

 antennae testaceous, but with the club sonietimes a little infuscate and 

 opaque ; tarsi fusco-rufous. 



Head large, a little rounded, finely yet distinctly but not closely punc- 

 tate. Eyes with numerous fine facets. Thorax evidently transverse, base 



