CRYPTORHYNCHIDAE. 451 



narrowed posteriorly ; there are about 10 rather slight, unequal, squaiuose 

 elevations before the middle, the largest yet not ver}' prominent pair are 

 about equidistant from the suture and base, a smaller pair are close to the 

 scutellum, there are also a few small crests near the top of the hind slope ; 

 near the shoulders the punctures are moderately coarse, irregular, and 

 mingled with blackish granules, along the suture and the hind slope the 

 punctation is serial and quite regular. 



Antennae short ; scape subclavate, just reaching the front of the eye ; 

 funiculus finely pubescent, 2nd joint not longer than the basal, 5th sinall, 

 7th broader than the transverse 6th ; chib rather short. 



Underside piceous, irregularly clothed with yellowish scales. The 

 perpendicular borders of the pectoral canal extend as far as the back part 

 of the middle coxae. Metasternum about the length of the basal seg- 

 ment, which is truncate in front, nearly bare and broadly depressed in the 

 middle ; the next is not much longer than the 3rd or 4th, and bears a 

 conspicuous tuft of sc[uamae on the middle. 



According to Sharp's description of C. obesulus (2184) there are, on the 

 basal and external portions of the elytra, rows of punctures interrupted 

 by the inequalities of the surface. In C. posficalis, in addition thereto, 

 there are regular series of punctures along the suture and tlie hind slope, 

 so I think this species is distinct. My opinion is confirmed by an examina- 

 tion of th.e figure which accompanied the original description in the Trans. 

 Koy. Dub. Soc, 1886. 



Length (rostrum exclusive). 5-5| mm. ; breadth, 3-3^ nnn. 



Hollvford. Three specimens found amongst decaving leaves (i; tlie 

 19th February, 1914, by Mr. T. Hall. 



3939. Xenacalles nigricans sp. nov. Xenacalles Broun, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 vcl. 4.5, p. 146. 



Opaque, black, rostrum piceo-rufous, antennae and tarsi iiifescent ; 

 covered chiefly with nigrescent squamae, but depressed tawny ones form 

 a streak near each side of the thorax and on the shoulders, sometimes a few 

 are scattered over its disc ; coarse, elongate, tawny ones form a conspicuous, 

 horizontal, sutural crest on the summit of the posterior declivity and a 

 pair of smaller ones a little in advance ; there are also some erect blackish 

 setiform ones near the sides, and 2 or 3 very small, intensely black crests 

 appear on the intermediate interstices of the elytra, between the middle 

 and the base. 



This resembles X. simplex (3455), but the rostrum is rather shorter 

 and more closely punctate throughout, and the scape is medially inserted. 

 Thorax of equal length and breadth, widest at the base, gradually narrowed 

 towards the f]-ont, closely and moderately coarsely punctured. Elytra 

 almost double the length of thorax, of the same width as it is at the base, 

 slightly broader behind the shoulders, gradually yet consideralily narrowed, 

 but not ci[uite vertical behind ; with moderate, indistinctly punctured 

 striae. Legs slightly variegate, with numerous dark squamiforn\ setae. 

 Eyes subrotundate, nearly flat. 



Prosternum entirely dull-black. The scales on the abdomen are almost 

 wholly nigrescent, except the greyish ones near the sides of the ba.«al 2 

 segments, and they are less coarse and rather more elongate than in 3455. 



The conmion triangular, sometimes diamond - sha])ed, mark seen in 

 varieties of 1427 is. owing to the coloration, rather indefinite, in 3455 it is 



