162 Mr. Arthur M. Lea's Revision of the 



and sides of abdomen and the legs of a more or less obscure green ; 

 tarsi obscure. Clothed with long, straggling, brownish hairs and 

 in addition with short whitish pubescence, sparse on upper surface 

 (denser at sides) but fairly dense on legs. 



Head smooth in front, basal half deeply sculptured, in its middle 

 a subtriangular space enclosing three shallow impressions, at each 

 side a semicircular deep and large impression. Antennae short ; 1st 

 joint as long as the four following combined, gradually inflated to its 

 ajjex, 2nd-7th joints serrate internally and equal inter se, 8th-10th 

 thinner and distinctly curved around, but the 8th and 9th in shape 

 much as the preceding joints. Prothorax moderately transverse, 

 sides strongly rounded, base feebly emarginate, apex rounded and 

 with a strong projection over the head, the projection notched at tip 

 and longitudinally concave; with two shallow transverse impres- 

 sions of which the basal is the deeper ; scarcely visibly punctate, 

 even at the sides. Elytra slightly dilated towards apex, surface 

 (especially about the middle) slightly wrinkled ; with a few small 

 scattered punctures. Front tarsi with the 2nd joint large, curved at 

 apex and tipped with black; claw joint large, the claws unusually 

 thick at base. 



Length, 6J mm. 



Hah. Victoria : Loutit Bay (type in National Museum) ; 

 N. S. Wales : Darling River (Macleay Museum), 



The strong projection on the prothorax (which is about 

 one-fourth of the length of that segment) is unique in at 

 least the Australian species of 3Ialacodermidae hitherto 

 described. In the type the green portions of the elytra 

 change to purple as they approach the median fascia ; in 

 the other sj)ecimen only the extreme base of the elytra is 

 green, the dark portions elsewhere being blue, changing to 

 deep purple as they approach the median fascia ; this 

 specimen also has the antennal joints each partly dark, 

 and the prothoracic projection not much darker than the 

 disc. There are also two specimens in the Australian 

 Museum, marked as having been taken in Hely's expedition. 



Laius sculptus, n. sp. (Figs. 61, 144.) 



^ . Head, base and apex of elytra (a rather wide median fascia 

 flavous) of a vivid metallic coppery-green ; scutellum, imder-surface 

 (middle of basal segments of abdomen and prosternum reddish), and 

 legs (front tibiae and tarsi more or less reddish), of a more obscure 

 green ; prothorax flavous with a fairly large medio-basal patch of 

 moderately bright green ; antennae blackish, the two basal joints 



