PSELAPHIDAE. 513 



Underside of head with a basal foveae. Ventral segments 2-4 diminish, 

 fifth as long as fourth ; sixth rather longer, seventh short and broad, the 

 operculum oval but small. 



Most nearly resembles V. armijerus (3381), (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 

 vol. viii, p. 692), but differing considerably in colour. The head of 3381 

 is curvedly narrowed behind the eyes and consequently more ovate, the 

 interocular foveae are less distinctly prolonged, its thorax is oviform, 

 the second exposed dorsal segment is subcarinate along the middle and 

 depressed at the sides. 



(S. Length, \\ mm. ; breadth, nearly ^ mm. 



Routeburn ; 16th February, 1914. Found by Mr. T. Hall on a mossy 

 tree. Unique (unfortunately). 



4031. Vidamus nitidus sp. no v. 



Shining, slightly convex, moderately robust ; dark fusco-rufous, legs 

 and antennae chestnut-red ; pubescence yellow, suberect. 



Head suboblong, quite as large as thorax, hind angles rounded ; deeply 

 and broadly bisulcate so that the foveae are effaced ; antennal tubercles 

 slightly elevated, extending obliquely inwards, gradually depressed but not 

 uniting in front. Eyes situated at the middle, moderately large but not 

 prominent. Thorax subcordate, widest before the middle, gradually 

 narrowed behind, about as long as broad ; ante-basal fossa transverse, 

 with a groove extending to the base, which is distinctly bipunctate ; 

 lateral foveae large, with a shallow prolongation to beyond the middle. 

 Elytra suboblong, evidently longer and broader than the thorax, some- 

 what narrowed before the middle, finely punctured, most regularly along 

 the suture ; sutural striae broad and deep near the base, punctiform 

 there, each with a basal puncture alongside, dorsal striae broad and deep 

 near the base, indistinctly prolonged to the middle. Hind-body very 

 finely punctured, nearly as broad as elytra, a third shorter, basal two seg- 

 ments equal, the others narrowed and deflexed. Legs elongate, moderately 

 slender. 



Antennae as long as head and thorax ; first joint stout, not longer 

 than the oblong-oval second ; joints 3-7 evidently longer than broad, eighth 

 small and bead-like ; ninth rather larger but not as broad as the next, 

 eleventh large, subconical and acuminate. 



F. hryophilus (3531) and V. gracilipes (3830) are broader and more 

 robust, and differ otherwise. V. simplex (male) is also more robust, its head 

 is less oblong, the eyes are more prominent, the thoracic median fossa 

 is much larger, ^d the sixth joint of the antennae is smaller than the 

 contiguous ones. 



?. Length, 2J mm. ; breadth, quite § mm. 



Mount Algidus, Canterbury. A single female found by Mr. T. Hall ; 

 3rd December, 1913. 



4032. Vidamus fossalis sp. nov. 



Nitid, slightly convex, of irregular contour, finely and unevenly punc- 

 tate ; rufo-castaneous, antennae, palpi, and legs paler ; pubescence greyish, 

 subdepressed. 



Head about as large as thorax, obliquely narrowed in front of the 

 moderately large eyes, subquadrate behind them, posterior angles obtuse ; 

 the foveae not sharply defined, but prolonged as deep, broad grooves 



