Australian and Tasmanian Gryptoccphalidcs. 381 



and flanks of mesosternura are black, in the other only- 

 parts of the former are black ; whilst in a female having 

 the prothorax immaculate these parts are but slightly 

 clouded. 



A variety from South Australia in the Macleay Museum 

 has the elytra entirely purplish-violet, with the prothoracic 

 spot small and irregular. 



Rhombosternus antennatus, Baly. 



Dr. Baly describes the colour of this species as "ijicco- 

 fulvus " ; possibly his specimen was old and dirty. I have 

 before me three specimens, which appear to be referable 

 to his species, in which the colour is a rather pale testa- 

 ceous-yellow, with the abdomen and ocular emarginations 

 pale flavous. The male differs from the female in being 

 smaller, nan-ower, and with the scutellum narrower, the 

 antennae are not much longer (in both sexes they consider- 

 ably pass the apex of the body) but are darker outwardly. 

 The prothoracic punctures are subject to considerable 

 variation. Baly says the basal lobe of the prothorax is 

 biemarginate ; this is not really the case although it 

 appears to be so owing to the large basal notch of the 

 scutellum dividing its base into two large lobes, so that as 

 it slightly overhangs the prothorax, the base of the latter 

 appears to be biemarginate. 



Hah. King George's Sound. 



Rhombosternus sulphuripennis, Baly. 

 (Plate XXIII, fig. 57.) 

 Hah. S. Australia. 



Prionopleura bifasciata, Saund. 



I have specimens from Sydney and the Blue Mountains 

 which agree with the description and figure of this species. 

 In the figure the male is shown as having pallid antennae 

 but it is not so described ; the normal female has pallid 

 antennae and legs with femora either black or infuscate, 

 its prothoracic and elytral markings are much less sharply 

 defined than in the male but of the same type. 



From Jenolan I have a specimen which differs from the 

 normal form in having the under-surface (except for small 

 and obscure lateral spots), the antennae (the first to fifth 



