198 Mr. O®®. Waterhouse’s descriptions 
Section II. Claws with a quill-like appendage at the 
base of each. 
Mechidius atratus, Burm. 
THab.— Melbourne. 
Mechidius sordidus, Boisd. 
This appears to be one of the commonest South Aus- 
tralian species. In Gemminger and Harold’s Catalogue, 
M. MacLeayanus, Westw., is sunk as a synonym of it. 
I have authentic specimens of M. sordidus and have seen 
the type of 27. MacLeayanus, and can therefore say with 
certainty that the species are distinct. I. sordidus is 
opaque, brown, oblong, the sides somewhat parallel; the 
thorax is very slightly narrowed posteriorly, the posterior 
angles are slightly less than right-angles; the sete on the 
surface are rather fine and are all directed towards the 
scutellum; the striz of the elytra are equidistant, the 
interstices flat. 
Mechidius emarginatus, sp. nov. 
Oblongus, piceo-niger, subopacus. Capite vix convexo, 
fortiter punctato, antice emarginato, emarginationis an- 
gulis exterioribus acutis prominulis, lateribus obliquis sat 
fortiter bisinuatis, genis prominulis obtusis. Thorace lon- 
eitudine ? latiori, antice arcuatim angustato, leviter con- 
vexo, crebre haud fortiter punctato; lateribus crenulatis ; 
angulis posticis oblique semicirculariter emarginatis, an- 
culo ante emarginationem fere recto, angulo postico 
obtusiusculo.  Scutello punctulate: Ely tris deplanatis, 
thorace vix latioribus at 2} longioribus; striarum punctis 
elongatis, setiferis, setis plerumque erectis brunneo-tes- 
taceis. Pygidio ad apicem foveé magna impresso. 
Long. 5 lin. ; lat. 23 lin. 
This species is closely allied to the preceding, but is less 
strongly sculptured; the form of the thorax is moreover 
quite different. In the preceding species the thorax 
becomes narrower a little before the posterior emargina- 
tion, whereas in this species the thorax is broadest at the 
anterior angle of the emargination. The elongate punc- 
tures of the striz have no tubercle at their base, as in the 
preceding species. 
Hab.— Australia. B. M. 
