African and Asiatic Species of Melyris. 



161 



towards apex, rapidly, obliquely narrowed and excavate 

 ventrally thence to the pointed tip, the apical ventral portion 

 with a strongly raised, prominent median keel terminating 

 proximally in a backwardly-directed acute triangular tooth 

 (figs. 1 a, b) ; tegmen feebly emarginate and fringed with 

 long flavous hairs at tip. 



Fig. 1. 



a. b. 



Melyris viridis, F., <$ . 



Hab. S. and S.W. Africa {Mus. Oxon., Mus. Genoa), 

 Cape of Good Hope, Port Nolloth, and Damaraland {Mus. 

 Brit.), Owampo (£ Schinz, sec. Fairmaire). 



The British Museum possesses a long series of M. viridis 

 { $ ? ) from Cape Town, also four females from Port Nolloth 

 and two males from Damaraland. This insect, the type of 

 the genus Melyris, has the head small and rather elongate ; 

 the antennal joints 4-10 triangular, 6-10 transverse, strongly 

 so in ? ; the tarsal claws feebly toothed at the middle (the 

 tooth being so small that it seems to have been overlooked 

 by Lacordaire) ; and the median lobe of the g aedea^us 

 furnished with a strong backwardly-directed tooth. The 

 body is green, rarely blue, above and beneath, the legs 

 included, pubescent, and not very shining ; the head and pro- 

 thorax are closely, rather coarsely, umbilicate-punctate ; the 

 lateral carina of the prothorax is sinuate, abbreviated pos- 

 teriorly ; the elytra are feebly tricostate, the interspaces 

 with about five rows of crowded coalescent punctures ; and 

 the legs are more elongate than in M. abdominalis and its 

 allies. Two males have been dissected. 



2. Melyris laxicornis, sp. n. 



Oblong-oval, rather dull, green or bluish-green, the elytra 

 and under surface sometimes seneous or aeneo-cupreous, the 

 antennae black with the basal joints more or less reddish ; 

 finely pubescent ; the head and prothorax densely punctulate 



