PSELAPHIDAE. 511 



With the exception of the antennal and abdominal structure the male 

 is very similar to that of P. scitiventris. It is rather larger, the head is 

 more oblong, evidently narrower than the thorax and apparently im- 

 punctate. The mesial thoracic groove is slightly broader near the apex 

 than it is at the large basal fossa. The elytra are rather shorter and more 

 narrowed near the base, where their striae are more foveiform. 



Length, If mm. ; breadth, nearly § mm. 



Staircase, southern part of the Remarkables ; altitude, 3,500 ft. Four 

 specimens, found by Mr. T. Hall on the 13th March, 1914. 



Vidamus RafEray. Gen. Ins. (Wytsm.), Pselaphidae, p. 89. 



4028. Vidamus simplex sp. nov. 



Nitid, very finely and irregularly punctate, moderately robust ; head 

 and thorax rufo-fuscous, the antennae, legs, and elytra near the base 

 castaneo-rufous, remainder of these last and the hind-body more infuscate ; 

 pubescence yellow, slender and subdepressed. 



Head quite as broad as thorax, somewhat curvedly narrowed behind 

 the eyes, hind angles obsolete ; the foveae prolonged as broad grooves which 

 are confluent in front. Thorax relatively small, slightly longer than broad, 

 •widest before the middle, more, and quite obliquely, narrowed in front than 

 behind ; ante-basal depression rather large, angular, with a broad groove 

 extending to the base, and a fine stria connecting it with the lateral foveae 

 which are prolonged beyond the middle, basal punctures distinct, free. 

 Elytra oblong, slightly narrowed before the middle, fully a third broader 

 and longer than thorax ; sutural striae broad, with a small basal puncture 

 alongside each, intrahumeral impressions broad and deep at the base but 

 becoming shallow and indistinct towards the middle. Hind-body rather 

 shorter than but as broad as the elytra, basal segment a little longer than 

 second, slightly depressed right across its base, remaining ones deflexed 

 and a good deal narrowed behind. Legs simple, moderately slender. 



Antennae slender, almost equalling the head and thorax in length ; 

 basal joint a little stouter but hardly longer than the oblong second ; 

 joints 3-5 slightly decrease, all oblong, 6-8 shorter ; ninth distinctly larger 

 than eighth yet much smaller than the laxly articulated tenth, eleventh 

 largest, acuminate. 



Underside simple. Ventral segments 2-4 diminish, fifth shorter ; sixth 

 semicircularly emarginate, seventh obtusely triangular, the operculum large. 



The North Island species V. calcarattis (3210) and F. trochanferalis 

 (3380), as well as the southern V. qracilipes (3830), possess distinctive 

 sexual characters which are lacking in F. simplex, which, however, most 

 nearly resembles 3830. This last (3830) has the head less narrowed pos- 

 teriorly, the elytra are not as large, the intrahumeral impressions are not 

 distinctly prolonged backwards, the intermediate tibiae are armed with a 

 small but quite definite calcar at the inner extremity, and the coloration 

 is different. 



(J. Length, 2^ mm. ; breadth, | mm. 



Routeburn ; 16th February, 1914. Described from a single male 

 discovered by Mr. T. Hall. 



4029. Vidamus ovicoUis sp. nov. 



Elongate, slightly convex, elytra and hind-body, together, oblong-oval, 

 nitid ; piceo-rufous, base and suture of elytra more rufescent, legs and 

 antennae obscure rufo-testaceous ; pubescence subdepressed, yellowish-grey. 



