136 



on the Blue Mountain range) of a species which I cannot separate 

 from the Tasmanian »S'. sublineata. It is, however, considerably 

 smaller, the largest examples being less than two and a-half lines 

 long. 



MORDELLID.E. 



MORDELLA. 



M. hiusitata, sp. nov. Dense cinereo-pubescens ; capitis pube 

 in disco infuscata, prothoracis longitudinaliter in medio 

 infuscata, elytrorum antice maculatim et in parte dimidia 

 postica tota (fascia ante-apicali angusta excepta) infuscata ; 

 pedibus anterioribus 4 testaceis, tarsis posticis antennisque 

 rufescentibus ; aculeo et abdominis apice nigris ; prothorace 

 quam longiori sat latiori. Long., 2 1. ; lat., ^ 1. 

 A peculiarly coloured species devoid of the shining sericeous 

 tone so usual in the genus. The whole insect is densely clothed 

 with ashy pubescence, which is somewhat variably shaded in 

 certain parts to a more or less dark-brown colour ; this dark- 

 brown shading occupies the greater part of the hind half of the 

 head; it forms tw^o narrowly separated lines down the middle of the 

 prothorax; and on each elytron it appears as three elongate spots 

 side by side close to the base, an indistinct narrow zigzag fascia a 

 little behind the spots, a well-detined wide fascia immediately 

 behind the middle, and a variable blotch or cluster of spots filling 

 up the greater part of tlie apical hfth-part, and separated from 

 the post-median fascia by a narrow zigzag fascia like interval of 

 the general pale-ashy colour. 



This insect perhaps resembles M. mixta, Fab., but I do not 

 think it can be identical with it, as that species is said to be 

 "major," and is described as having a black ("atra") spot on 

 either side of the prothorax, and a red fascia on the elytra. Also 

 perhaps resembles M. ]>roiniscua, Er., which species, however, is 

 said to have black legs and antenna?, and black tomentum on the 

 sides of the prothorax and of the abdomen, ifec, kc. 



N.S. Wales, Sydney ; on flowers. 



M. maculatissima, sp. nov. Robusta ; nigra ; dense nigro- 



pubescens ; supra maculis parvis plurimis albido-pubescenti- 



bus ornata, corpore subtus plus minusve albido-pubescenti, 



ore et awtennarum basi l^ete ruiis ; prothorace quam longiori 



sat latiori. Long., 3 J 1.; lat., 1-^^ 1. 



A fine robust species, above the average size. The prothorax 



and elytra are covered with a large number of small spots, 



formed by white pubescence (there are at least 40 on each 



elytron), some of which coalesce here and there, forming larger 



spots. Probably this coalescence of the spots is variable ; in the 



typical specimen those along the base of the elytra are a good 



