268 



lateral strise making some of the interstices wider in some 

 than in other parts of their length.). The elytral interstices 

 are more decidedly convex, the pygidium more nitid and by 

 no means so extremely closely punctulate, and the penulti- 

 mate joint of the maxillary palpi is shorter (in j^'^'i'^'icomis 

 longer) than the antepenultimate joint. 



North Queensland. Sent by Mr. Perkins. 



Frenchella. 



Although this genus was founded so recently as in 1892, 

 species referable to it seem to have been described under other 

 generic names by most of the earlier authors. It is undoub- 

 tedly a near ally of Ha/plonycha, but the entirely different 

 character of the elytral sculpture in its species from that of 

 the species of Ha'plonycha (with no intermediate forms, so far 

 as I have observed) appears to me fully to warrant a separate 

 generic name. An elytral sculpture uniform in kind un- 

 questionably accompanies persistent structural characters of 

 apparently greater importance through all the extensive 

 genera of Australian Sericoldes, from which it may fairly be 

 concluded that a particular type of elytral sculpture is 

 generic. If Frenchella were included in Ha^lonycha the 

 genus so constituted would furnish the only instance known 

 to me of any considerable variety in kind (as distinguished 

 from degree) in elytral sculpture within the limits of a genus. 



The assignment to Frenchella of species described by the 

 early authors is a matter of considerable difficulty and calls 

 for a separate note on each of those which there seems to be 

 any ground for referring to the genus. 



Hajjlonycha rugom, Burm. On full reflection I think 

 that this is most probably the species that I called Frenchella 

 aayericollh, and I therefore propose to sink my name in favour 

 of Burmeister's. 



Ilaflonycha striateUa, Blanch. The phrase 'elytris trans- 

 versim confluenter punctatis" in Blanchard's description fits 

 no Australian Sericoid species known to me except Diphyllo- 

 cera kirhyana, White. Unfortunately Blanchard gives no 

 information beyond "N. Holland" as to the habitat of his 

 species and no statement of size except that it is ''smaller than 

 TI. ohesa and scnfalis." The description of H. ^triatella fits 

 the female of I), hirhyana very well except that the scutellum 

 is called ''Iseve," which it is not in kirhyana, but nevertheless 

 I believe it to be that insect. I cannot find any mention of 

 D. k'lrhi/a.na under that name in Blanchard. 



TJaplonycha iridesceni<, Blanch. I identify this species 

 with confidence. Its characters will be found indicated in 

 the foUowins: tabulation. 



