392 SHarp—On New Zealand Coleoptera. 
exaggerated renders it advisable that this should now be done. The remarkably broad 
epipleurze separate the New Zealand genus from the Brontes, both of Europe and 
Australia, and the tarsi are also much different from the former, though similar to 
those of the Australian species. The tarsal peculiarities are very interesting, as 
they differ a little in the two species, and show, as it were, the basal joint in the 
process of disappearing, so as to allow us to understand the occurrence of four- 
jointed feet in a few of the genera of the family. The basal joint of the foot is 
very short, while the second is elongate, twice or three times as long as the third, 
the fourth being very short, and the fifth very elongate; the articulation between 
the first and second joints is very oblique, especially on the hind feet, so that the 
second joint lies on the upper surface of the first, and nearly touches the apex 
of the tibia; this peculiarity is very distinct in B. pleuralis, but in B. sinuatus it 
has gone still farther: not only is the basal joint still more reduced in size, 
but the connexion between the two is so extremely close that the suture can 
scarcely be detected, and the tarsi appear to be tetramerous with an elongate basal 
joint. 
Brontopriscus sinuatus, n. sp.—Depressus, castaneo-testaceus, opacus, prothorace 
ubique crebre punctato, lateribus profunde serratis; elytris ovalibus, humeris 
sinuatis; profunde seriatim punctatis, secundum marginem punctis majoribus 
impressis. Long. 8 m.m. (Plate xm., fig. 23.) 
This is similar to B. pleuralis, but has important points of difference, the head and 
thorax, instead of being shining and nearly impunctate are dull, and covered with 
a coarse, shallow punctuation. The elytra are less elongate, and have a peculiar 
sinuation at the shoulders, so that the humeral angles are rectangular instead of 
obtuse. The male has the base of the front tarsi thicker, of the middle and hind 
more slender, than the female. 
CATHARTOCRYPTUS (nov. gen.). 
Corpus subdepressum, parum elongatum. Antennz crassiuscule clava triarti- 
culata. Thorax transversus lateribus muticis. Coxee anteriores et imtermediz 
fortiter distantes. 
This insect resembles Cathartus, and is allied thereto, but has the front 
and middle coxe widely separated, the genze without tooth, and the sides of the 
thorax without sinuation. The three jomts of the antenne forming the club 
are all broad; the tarsi are five-jointed, all the joints simple, the three basal 
on the hind foot all rather small, about equal to one another, fourth rather smaller, 
fifth as long as the four preceding together. The »wide separation of the front 
cox is remarkable, the hind ones being about as approximate as they are in 
Cathartus. 
