﻿272 
  Mr. 
  W. 
  L. 
  Distant 
  on 
  the 
  Genus 
  Plisthenes. 
  

  

  p. 
  151), 
  by 
  the 
  acquisition 
  of 
  specimens, 
  enabled 
  to 
  structu- 
  

   rally 
  and 
  otherwise 
  separate 
  these 
  two 
  species, 
  and 
  atn 
  now, 
  by 
  

   the 
  possession 
  of 
  three 
  examples 
  from 
  South-west 
  NewGuinea, 
  

   received 
  through 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  P. 
  Collett 
  from 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  C. 
  Melvill, 
  

   in 
  a 
  position 
  to 
  add 
  a 
  third 
  species 
  to 
  the 
  genus. 
  The 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  is 
  a 
  rough 
  synopsis 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Scutellum 
  unicolorous 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  lateral 
  margins 
  

   straight 
  and 
  not 
  distinctly 
  sinuate 
  near 
  apex. 
  

   Sternal 
  spine 
  not 
  reaching 
  anterior 
  coxae. 
  

  

  Antennas 
  with 
  the 
  second 
  joint 
  considerably 
  shorter 
  

   than 
  the 
  third. 
  

   Abdomen 
  beneath 
  with 
  a 
  central, 
  longitudinal 
  

  

  piceous 
  fascia 
  P. 
  Meriance. 
  

  

  Sternal 
  spine 
  reaching 
  anterior 
  coxae. 
  

  

  Antennae 
  with 
  the 
  second 
  joint 
  very 
  little 
  shorter 
  

   than 
  the 
  third. 
  

   Abdomen 
  beneath 
  with 
  a 
  central 
  and 
  two 
  sub- 
  

   marginal 
  piceous 
  fascias 
  P. 
  dilatatus. 
  

  

  Scutellum 
  with 
  the 
  apex 
  ochraceous 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  lateral 
  

  

  margins 
  distinctly 
  sinuate 
  near 
  apex 
  P. 
  scntellatus. 
  

  

  Plisthenes 
  scutellatus, 
  n. 
  sp. 
  

  

  Allied 
  to 
  P. 
  dilatatus^ 
  but 
  differing 
  by 
  having 
  the 
  lateral 
  

   margins 
  of 
  the 
  scutellum 
  distinctly 
  sinuate 
  near 
  apex, 
  which 
  

   is 
  broadly 
  ochraceous, 
  with 
  the 
  tip 
  black. 
  The 
  second 
  and 
  

   third 
  joints 
  of 
  the 
  antennas 
  are 
  almost 
  subequal 
  in 
  length, 
  and 
  

   the 
  apex 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  joint 
  is 
  ochraceous 
  (fourth 
  joint 
  muti- 
  

   lated). 
  The 
  sternal 
  spine 
  about 
  reaches 
  the 
  anterior 
  coxa?,, 
  as 
  

   in 
  P. 
  dilatatus. 
  

  

  Long. 
  28 
  to 
  33 
  millim. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  South-west 
  New 
  Guinea 
  (J. 
  C. 
  Melvill). 
  

  

  The 
  three 
  species 
  vary 
  very 
  much 
  in 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  their 
  

   representatives, 
  and 
  P. 
  Meriance 
  in 
  the 
  colour 
  of 
  the 
  antenna?, 
  

   which 
  in 
  typical 
  examples 
  have 
  only 
  the 
  last 
  joint 
  ochraceous, 
  

   whilst 
  in 
  some 
  Australian 
  specimens, 
  as 
  pointed 
  out 
  by 
  Stal, 
  

   and 
  in 
  some 
  from 
  Murray 
  Island, 
  as 
  already 
  described 
  by 
  

   myself, 
  both 
  the 
  third 
  and 
  fourth 
  joints 
  are 
  ochraceous. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  localities 
  of 
  the 
  specimens 
  in 
  my 
  own 
  

   collection 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  P. 
  Meriance, 
  Fabr. 
  — 
  Amboina, 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  Port 
  

  

  Moresby, 
  Murray 
  Island. 
  

   P. 
  dilatatus, 
  Montr. 
  — 
  Port 
  Moresby, 
  Celebes. 
  

   P. 
  scutellatus, 
  Dist. 
  — 
  South-west 
  New 
  Guinea. 
  

  

  