Suarp—On New Zealand Coleoptera. 395 
middle, and the hind body are so closely united together that it is not easy 
to disarticulate them; and the union between the prothorax and the after-body 
is so perfect that I could only sever them by taking off the abdomen, and then 
thrusting them apart by a needle placed in the interior; on the other hand, 
the head is exserted and possesses much mobility. The small eyes are very 
convex and contiguous with the front of the thorax; the antenne are inserted 
a considerable distance in front of the eyes in large cavities, quite exposed in 
front and only moderately separated. The antennz themselves are stout, the 
first joint is globular, rather larger than the second; this is of similar form; 
joints 8-9 are all short, and the tenth is abruptly broader, strongly transverse, 
rather larger than the terminal joint; the labrum is exposed, horny, almost 
transverse-oblong. The mandibles are corneous, thick at base, strongly curved, 
acuminate, simple. The palpi are all short and very broad, the maxillary 
four-jointed, basal-joint small and slender, second closely connected with it by 
an oblique suture, so that the two look like one elbowed joint, it is about as 
long as broad; third joint strongly transverse; fourth longer and narrower 
towards the apex, which however is truncate. Maxillary lobes both distinct, 
the inner slender, the outer robust, both of them pubescent. Ligula exposed, 
broad, corneous, simple, labial palpi shaped like the maxillary, except that 
they are only three-joited; the genz form a short obtuse angular prominence 
on each side at the base of the maxilla. The prosternum in front of the cox 
is rather large, and arches over the small coxz to project backwards as a broad 
grooved process attaining the metasternum; there is no projection of the side 
piece behind the coxa, the cavity consequently being quite open behind. The 
mesosternum is rather large, is occupied in the middle by a deep groove, with 
raised edges for the support of the prosternal process, and on either side of 
this with a curved ridge to complete the enclosure of the front coxe. The 
metasternum is rather short, and its side pieces are scarcely visible; the hind 
coxee are about as widely separated as those of the front and middle legs, 
they are transyersly conical; the legs are small, the tibiz feeble, unarmed, 
without apical spurs. The tarsi are terminated by two rather large simple 
claws; there is very little difference between the front and hind feet. The 
ventral sutures are all deep, and the basal segment along the middle is nearly 
as long as the three following together, these being quite short. 
Picrotus thoracicus, 1. sp.—Brevissime ovalis, testaceo-ferrugineus, politus, 
elaber, capite porrecto transversim post antennas subrugoso ; prothorace magno, 
omnium latissime marginato, angulis posterioribus prolongatis. Long. 1} m.m. 
(Plate xu1., fig. 9.) 
The peculiar thorax, with its remarkable broad flat margin, will at a glance 
permit the identification of this species. The elytra are convex, very short in 
