179 



region o£ tlie posterior angles is occupied by some rather close 

 ill-dej&ned puncturation ; there is an obscure curved impression 

 across the middle of the front part of the thorax which forms 

 the anterior limit of the longitudinal channel. The elytra are 

 regularly and rather strongly striated, with the abbreviated 

 stria represented (in the specimens before me) only by a 

 fovea at the extreme base ; the interstices are wide, almost 

 quite flat near the front, but become narrower, and convex, 

 behind, the third interstice bearing a well marked puncture 

 behind the middle. 



This insect is extremely close to P.felix, Schaum, which is 

 described very briefly and unsatisfactorily by its author. The 

 figure supplementing the description, however, has enabled 

 me to identify as that species an example sent to me from 

 Melbourne, and there is another much damaged specimen in 

 the South Australian Museum. P. hrunneus differs ivomfelix 

 in being a little narrower, with the antennae uniformly tes- 

 taceous red, instead of pitchy with the base paler ; its thorax is 

 not quite so strongly transverse, and is much more narrowed 

 behind, with the edges of the explanate part near the posterior 

 angles more turned up. In felix, moreover, the declivous 

 hind portion of the thorax continues evenly to the extreme 

 base and is much more strongly and closely wrinkled. 



Lyndoch Valley. Taken by Mr. Tepper. 

 P. similis, sp. nov. Brunneus, antennis palpis pedibusque palli- 

 dioribus ; prothorace vix canaliculato, antice vix bisinuato, 

 cordate, angulis anticis hand productis, posticis acute 

 rectis ; elytris minus fortiter striatis, interstitiis planis. 

 Long. 5 1. 

 Head, across the eyes, slightly narrower than the base of th© 

 thorax. Thorax transverse, widest in front of the middle, 

 about half again as wide as long, very feebly channelled ; 

 anterior margin scarcely wider than base ; a transverse curved 

 depression well marked in the front ; sides strongly rounded 

 in front, becoming straight just before the base ; margins 

 narrow and but little explanate behind ; surface almost abso- 

 lutely devoid of puncturation. Elytra rather feebly striated, 

 the interstices almost perfectly flat even to the apex. 



This insect resembles P. mucronatus, but besides the elytra 

 being normal at the apex, the thorax is a little narrower be- 

 hind, with the anterior angles not prominent, the sides much 

 more narrowly margined and the posterior angles slightly less 

 sharp. 



There is a single specimen in the South Australian Museum, 

 It was taken, almost certainly, in South Australia^ but I can- 

 not ascertain exactly in what locality. 



