Australian and Tasmanian Malacodermiclae. 235 



sides of the elytra are almost white, but I attach no 

 importance to this. 



Helcogaster strigiceps, n. sp. 



(J . Deep black ; elytra with a slight bluish gloss ; prothorax 

 reddish-flavous ; four basal joints of antennae (wholly or in part) 

 and extreme base of tibiae, testaceous. 



Head with less prominent eyes than usual ; densely strigose both 

 obliquely and longitudinally ; irregularly excavated on apical half. 

 Antennae rather short, scarcely passing middle coxae. Prothorax 

 slightly transverse, not impressed at base. Elytra very feebly punc- 

 tate. Basal joint of front tarsi rather small, but strongly rounded 

 and with a black inner rim. 



Length to apex of elytra 2f , of abdomen 4 mm, 



Eab. N. S. Wales : Mount Victoria {A. M. Lea). 



The cephalic excavations are very different to those of 

 any species here recorded ; they are not all more or less 

 connected as is usually the case, but there are two com- 

 paratively small foveae forming a median excavation, the 

 two combined occupying about half of the width between 

 eyes, but only about one-fourth of the length of head; 

 between them and each eye is a rather shallow, curved 

 groove, completely margined all round (except at the 

 extreme front) and the two separated in front by a rather 

 wide median elevation the hind edge of which divides 

 the median excavation into the two fovea. Seen from 

 behind the head appears to have three slight, rounded, 

 distant spaces, scarcely elevated above the general level ; 

 whilst from the sides it appears to be flattened. The 

 strigosities of the head are denser than usual, and, instead 

 of beinof transverse, are longitudinal at the base. 



A specimen which is possibly the female (it was beaten 

 from the same bush as the male) has the head feebly im- 

 pressed in front, transversely strigose at the base, prothorax 

 transversely impressed at the base and front tarsi simple. 

 In colours and general appearance it exactly resembles the 

 male but as its antennae are distinctly longer I am some- 

 what doubtful as to the two specimens being really 

 correctly mated. 



Helcogaster helmsi, n. sp. {Figs. 13, 14.) 



(J . Deep black, elytra with a decided bluish or greenish gloss ; 

 prothorax and three basal joints of antennae reddish-flavous. 



