Coleoptera from New Zealand. 311 



Sympiestus modestus, sp. n. 



Oolong, subparallel, shining, pitchy black; legs rufo- 

 piceous, antennas red, tarsi and palpi pale red. 



Head evidently narrower than the thorax, with large, 

 broad, smooth frontal impressions. Eyes very convex and 

 prominent. Thorax subquadrate, about one fifth broader 

 than long, its sides slightly sinuate-angustate behind the 

 middle, posterior angles exactly rectangular, the anterior 

 rounded ; the dorsal groove scarcely reaches the apex and is 

 very narrow near the base ; the basal fossas are elongate and 

 sulciform, the space between these is slightly depressed. 

 Elytra ovate-oblong, the three sutural stria? on each are dis- 

 tinctly punctured, but the punctuation becomes obsolete 

 behind ; the fourth is interrupted or less distinct at the base, 

 the outer striae are more or less effaced. 



In this genus the species are difficult to separate satisfac- 

 torily unless they are compared side by side. The following- 

 notes will aid their identification. 



No. 1804, the typical species, is larger than 8. modestus ; 

 the basal joint of the antennas is darker than the others, the 

 elytra are less glossy than the thorax, which latter has slightly 

 obtuse basal angles. These characters are not applicable to 

 S. modestus. 



No. 1338. — Frontal impressions distinctly sculptured, 

 almtfst quite punctate ; eyes less convex than in S. modestus. 

 No. 1805. — Strias of elytra narrow and finely punctured, 

 so that the strias are more conspicuous than their punctures, 

 just the reverse of what is seen in the other species ; its eyes 

 are like those of No. 1338 but are rather smaller. 



No. 2439. — This is a larger insect with very conspicuous 

 eyes. 



c? . Length 2^, breadth f lines. 



Dyer's Pass, Canterbury. One example, found by 

 Mr. Suter in June 1893. 



Group Zolidae. 

 Zolus femoraliS) sp. n. 



Suhovate, rather elongate, a little convex, shining ; pitchy 

 black, elytral margins and mandibles red, the antennas, palpi, 

 tibias, and tarsi yellowish red. 



Head rather small, with a groove near each eye, the frontal 

 impressions elongate and rather shallow. Thorax almost as 

 long as it is broad, a little wider at the base than in front j 

 the sides before the middle are moderately rounded, near the 



