474 Mr. David Sharp's revision of the 



other two by the small stature and the diminished meso- 

 sternal lamina, which is hardly one-fourth the size of 

 what it is in the larger species. 



A single individual was sent me by Captain Broun, I 

 believe from Tairua, on the same card as a specimen of 

 P. tritus. 



ToKMUs, n. g. 

 Corpus superne valde convexum. Labrum transversvim baud 

 occultum. Oculi indivisi. Antennae O-articulatae, articulis 3 — 6 

 simplicibiis, clava sat elongata articulis 7o et 8o transversis. 

 Pedes intermedii contigui, mesosterniTm lamina erecta niunitum ; 

 femora subtus baud punctato-piibescentia, brevia, tibiae spiuosulae, 

 tarsi posteriores articulo basali perbrevi, secnndo elongato. Abdo- 

 men e segmentis quiuque, sat dense pubescentibus, compositum. 



This genus is allied to the New World Demllus, with 

 which, however, it is far from closely agreeing, and is 

 systematically distinguished by the 9-jointed antennae, 

 and by the joint preceding the club being simple. It 

 may be placed in the New Zealand list near to Saphy- 

 drns, though it is far from being allied to that genus in 

 most of the peculiarities of its structure. 



Tormus helmsi, n. s. 

 Ovalis, omnium convexissimus, niger, supra aeneus, antennis 

 palpisque testaceis, x^edibus rufis; nitidus, parce obsoleteque punc- 

 tatus, elytris ad latera et posterius seriebus abbreviatis punctorum 

 majorum. Long. 3 mm., lat. If mm. 



The excessively convex form, and the shining brassy 

 upper surface, together with the peculiar sculpture of 

 the wing-cases, readily distinguish this from all the 

 other New Zealand HydropldlidcB. The base of the 

 thorax is extremely rounded near the sides, so that the 

 hind angles are very obtuse, almost quite rounded ; on 

 the posterior part of the wing-cases there are series of 

 coarse punctures directed obliquely somewhat upwards, 

 but quite absent from the anterior portions ; on the wide 

 interstices between these series are numerous finer 

 punctures, but the basal region is only very finely and 

 sparingly punctate ; there is an abbreviated sutural 

 stria, which does not reach half-way to the front. 



I am greatly obliged to Mr. Helms for presenting me 

 with the only example yet found of this insect. It was 

 captured near Greymouth. 



