424: COLEOPTERA. 



3899. Abrotheus placitus sp. nov. 



Elongate, nearly plane above, subopaque ; nigro-fuscous, antennae, 

 tarsi, and rostral apex fusco-rufous ; irregularly clothed with somewhat 

 curled, pale testaceous squamae. 



Rostrum nearly nude in front, elsewhere thickly covered with coarse, 

 elongate, rough-looking scales, indistinctly crested near the base. Thorax 

 a little longer than broad, hardly any wider before the middle than behind ; 

 disc almost smooth, with an indistinct central ridge, covered with short 

 scales, extending from the front to the elongate basal depression, it is nearly 

 bare alongside the ridge, but the sides are covered with coarser curled 

 squamae. Elytra twice the length of thorax, widest and unevenly rounded 

 behind the posterior femora, gradually iiarrowed towards the slightly 

 incurved base, more narrowed but not vertical behind ; the broad basal 

 depression is bordered at each side with a finely squamose ridge, a similarly 

 squamose streak extends backwards from each shoulder ; on each elytron 

 about 10 unequal crests are formed of coarse, bent, setiform scales, the 

 intervals are nearly bare ; on the basal portion there are some coarse 

 punctures, behind these, each elytron is finely bistriate almost to the 

 extremity, there are some scales but no distinct crests on the posterior 

 declivity. Legs coarsely clothed. 



Basal 2 ventral segments dark fuscous, a little nitid, with a few distant 

 minute punctures and short tawny setae. 



Length (rostrum inclusive), 6 mm. ; breadth, 2 mm. 



Waitakerei Range ; 26th April, 1914. I am indebted to Mr. A. E. 

 Brookes, of Mount Albert, for the specimen he found near the reservoir. 



Halliella gen. nov. 



Body subpyriform, uneven above. Rostrum strongly arched, stout, as 

 long as thorax, its basal half rather narrower than the frontal. Scrobes 

 median, foveiform, slightly expanded and quite open above. Head short, 

 narrowed anteriorly. Eyes small, lateral, nearly flat, oviform, free. Scape 

 stout, gradually clavate, attaining the back of the eye. Fmiiculus 

 7-ai-ticulate, 2nd joint nearly as long as the 1st, moderately elongate, 

 joints 3-6 transversely quadrate, 7th suboblong ; club short, ovate, its 

 small apical joints indistinct. Thorax as long as broad, base and apex 

 truncate, without ocular lobes. Scutellum absent. Elytra oblong-oval, 

 truncate at base, hardly at all wider than thorax there. Legs moderately 

 elongate ; femora medially incrassate ; tibiae subflexuous, mucronate at 

 extremity ; tarsi short, rather broad, basal 2 joints strongly transverse, 

 the penultimate sub-bilobed, also broad. 



Prosternum incurved in front, coxae large, prominent and contiguous. 

 Middle coxae distinctly, posterior widely separated. Metasternum very 

 short, without any perceptible suture between it and the short basal ventral 

 segment, the 2nd segment large, oblique towards its sides, angulate and 

 medially depressed in front ; 3rd and 4th with straight deep sutures, 

 exceedingly short, together little more than half the length of the 5th. 



The scrobes are like those of LitJiocia and, consequently, very different 

 from those of Phnjnixus and Styphlotelus. In this last genus, which some- 

 what resembles Halliella, there is no sign of any suture between the 1st and 

 2nd ventral segments ; the elytra are evidently incurved at the base, thus 



