277 



Thorax at its base about balf as wide again as its lengtli 

 down tbe middle, sligbtly lobed in front, widest just behind 

 the front, thence ver}^ slightly (scarcely noticeably) narrowed 

 backward, its base moderately lobed and on either side 

 foveated, its hind corners rectangular and the front ones 

 rounded off, its surface covered with moderately close and 

 lightly impressed but not particularly fine puncturation. The 

 punctures in the striae on the elytra are rather large (a little 

 larger than in the preceding species) and somewhat square ; 

 the interstices of the striae are distinctly convex (several near 

 the middle of the disc being almost keel-like) and are smooth 

 and shining. In the male the surface of the head is concave — 

 as usual in the genus ; the anterior horns differ little from 

 those of the preceding species ; the posterior horns are a little 

 shorter than the length of the head, compressed ; they are only 

 gently arcuate, and their apices (which are clothed with yellow 

 hairs) are as wide apart as their bases. 



T. gracile, Pasc, is the only previously described xlustralian 

 Toxicum of a shining appearance, and having an antennal club 

 of four joints. This insect differs from it in having the elytra 

 not wider behind than in front, the thorax scarcely narrowed 

 hind wards, and (I should judge from the not very precise des- 

 .cription) in the finer puncturation of its elytra and the convex 

 interstices of the same. 



There is a single specimen in the South Australian Museum, 

 labelled as having been taken in New South Wales. 



PTEEOHELJEUS. 



p. insignis, sp. nov. Parum nitidus ; depressus ; niger ; an- 

 tennis palpis pedibusque picescentibus ; capite rugose 

 crebrius, prothorace sparsim obsolete, punctatis ; hoc 

 elytris latiori ; elytris transversim rugatis, granalatis, 

 jDunctulato-striatis, striis nonnullis j^rofundioribus, sutur-i 

 (apicem versus excepta) prominula, apice dehiscente. 

 Long. 9 1. Lat 4 1. 

 Eather elongate and very depressed. Quite black, except 

 the limbs, which are a little piceous. The surface of the head 

 ^and prothorax is rendered opaque by excessively minute punc- 

 turation, and has also larger puncturation which on the former 

 is rugose, but not strong nor very close, on the latter faint 

 iind sparse. The thorax is widest a little in front of the base 

 (where it is twice and a half as wide as its length down the 

 middle), moderately emarginate in front, the anterior angles 

 not passing the front of the eyes and the distance between 

 their apices being half the width of the thorax at its widest 

 part ; the dorsal line is scarcely indicated ; the explanate mar- 

 gins are quite flat, very little narrowed forwards, and together 



