230 Mr. W. F. Kirbj on Species o/Phasmidifi 



Promachus spinosus, sp. n. 



Long. Corp. 91 millim. 



Female. — Reddish brown ; antenna3 darker, about as long 

 as the head and thorax ; liead fully as long as the prothorax ; 

 a groove on the hinder half, curving off into two shallower 

 depressions in front to the base of the antennae ; the head is 

 covered with short spines or warts above, and there is a broad 

 slightlj dentated spine on each side about the middle ; pro- 

 thorax with two broad slightly diverging spines on an eleva- 

 tion in front and a strong ridge with a bifid elevation in the 

 middle behind ; there is also a row of three broad spines on 

 each side and some smaller ones ; the hindermost is twice as 

 long as the others and dentated ; mesothorax with a large 

 elevation at one third of its length, in front of which are three 

 diverging carinaj ; behind this is a strong carina rising into a 

 transverse ridge behind, the middle of which is occupied by 

 another bifid prominence ; the surface is studded with small 

 scattered warts, and there are three large spines in front above 

 the lateral line and two more below, above the middle coxse, 

 the larger ones being again surrounded and studded with 

 shorter spines and warts ; metathorax with a strong carina 

 and a large spine on the middle and behind ; below the median 

 line there is a large cluster of spines in front of the hind coxai ; 

 abdomen with the first six segments transverse, the remainder 

 tapering ; with a longitudinal granular carina, rising into a 

 simple spine at the extremity of each segment, which slopes 

 laterally to the base of a short spine on each side ; near the 

 front of each segment is an acute oblique spine on each side, 

 and along the lateral line runs a row of short spines. On the 

 eighth segment the terminal spines on the median line end with 

 a strong raised ridge extending along nearly the whole length of 

 the segment. The median spines, except the last ridge, are 

 usually marked with black, and the ovipositor is also black. 

 The legs are strongly ridged and are moderately spined along 

 the carinjE on the femora and tibiai. Tlie femora, except at 

 the base and tip, and a great part of the tibi^ and tarsi are 

 blackish. Body beneath testaceous, nearly smooth, with only 

 a row of spiny warts running along each side of the meso- 

 thorax and abdomen. 



Legs rather short, femora rather shorter than the tibiae. 

 First four joints of the tarsi short, diminishing in length, the 

 fifth as long as all the others. Antennse slightly pilose ; scape 

 as long as the third joint, but much thicker than the short 

 second joint, which again is thicker than the third. 

 Hah. Rossel Island, Oct. 18. 



