Coljdlidae of New Zealand. 21 



the 3-jointed antennal club and the more elongate basal joint of 

 the tarsi. I have little doubt that these insects have the 

 habits of Tarphius^ and will require to be sought among the 

 dead leaves and decaying vegetable matter of the New-Zealand 

 woods and forests. The two species before me, though they 

 look extremely like one another at first sight, show on ex- 

 amination structural differences that leave me no doubt 

 that numerous other species will be found in New Zealand. 

 Enarsus Bakewellii, Pascoe, is a very interesting allied form ; 

 but its appearance indicates very different habits, its tarsi have 

 the second and third joints much more developed, and I 

 believe the trophi will show important differences. 



Syncalus optatus^ n. sp. 

 S. oblongo-ovalis, convexus, piceus, antennis pedibusque rufis ; setis 

 elongatis, erectis adspersus, et cum pube depressa insequaliter ves- 

 titus ; tibiis setosis. Long. corp. 4^ m. m. 



Antennae short, red, with the basal joints pitchy ; first joint 

 elongate and exposed ; third longer, but much more slender 

 than second ; fourth a good deal shorter than third, but longer 

 than fifth; eighth small, but transverse; ninth and tenth 

 abruptly broader ; ninth not quite so broad as tenth, both of 

 them strongly transverse ; eleventh joint large, about as broad 

 as tenth. Labrum large and exposed ; last joint of maxillary 

 palpi elongate and rather slender. Antennal cavities directed 

 straight backwards along the inner margin of the eye. Eyes 

 large, convex, without setse. Head coarsely sculptured, so as 

 to appear covered with flattened tubercles. Thorax with the 

 sides a little rounded and narrowed towards the front ; the ante- 

 rior angles acute and prominent ; the sides behind the middle 

 almost straight, so that the well-marked hind angles are about 

 rectangular ; the base on each side much sinuate ; its surface 

 is covered with an exudation which conceals the irregularly 

 distributed tubercular sculpture ; and it bears some erect set«. 

 Elytra very convex, without tubercles, sprinkled with nume- 

 rous long upright setae, and also bearing some fine, greyish, 

 depressed setee, which are distributed in irregular patches ; 

 the sculpture (which apparently consists of rows of coarse 

 punctures) is concealed by an exudation. Tibia bearing exter- 

 nally a row of long setae. Tarsi with the basal joint about as 

 long as the two following ones together ; the second and third 

 are small ; the fourth is slender, and rather longer than the 

 other three together. 



A single mutilated individual sent by Mr. Lawson from 

 Auckland. 



