Australian and Tasmanian Malacodcrmidac. 219 



types (three of each), I cannot convince myself that such 

 is the case. It differs from canaliculatus in having the 

 antennae pale and the prothorax pale at the apex. Seen 

 from behind the head appears to be in two irregular lobes 

 with a deep channel between them. From behind the 

 head of canaliculahis appears to have a rather shallow 

 channel on each side in addition to the deep median one ; 

 but there may really be lateral channels in rujicornis that 

 are concealed by the clothing. In both species from the 

 sides there appear to be two tubercles over each eye (a 

 small one at the middle and a larger one at the base), 

 and the space between the median impression and each 

 eye has a peculiar (almost spongiose) appearance. Both 

 species were described as "almost impunctate," but in 

 both there are some fairly distinct punctures on the head ; 

 whilst in ritficornis the apical sides of the prothorax are 

 very decidedly punctate ; in canaliculatus these parts are 

 opaque but not distinctly punctured. 



Hal. N. S. Wales : Sydney. 



Helcogaster parallelus, Lea, /. c, p. 141 ; 1898, p. 580. 

 {Fig. 1.) 



The type of this species is probably not typical, as it 

 has the prothorax entirely dark except for a slight trace of 

 testaceous on each side of the base; two others before me * 

 have the base of the prothorax decidedly reddish. 



A male also has the prothorax reddish at the base ; its 

 head is largely and deeply excavated between the eyes and 

 in front. Seen from behind it appears to be largely 

 excavated f with a thiu, acute (almost spinose) median 

 tubercle, and a large obtuse one close to each eye. Seen 

 from in front the excavation appears to be very decidedly 

 quadrisinuate posteriorly and supplied with three small 

 conical tubercles in front. 



The head of the female is more distinctly impressed 

 than is usual in that sex. 



Rah.W. Australia: King George's Sound, Albany, | 

 Karridale. 



* One of these was unfortunately described in 1898 as the male. 



t In other species in which the head is fully as much or almost 

 as largely excavated as in this, the head when seen from behind 

 does not appear tf) be excavated at all, owing to the tubercles. 



J Albany and King George's Sound are not necessarily the same ; 

 as Mr. Masters labelled all his captures both from the port itself 



