SILPHIDAE. 611 



the length, very gently narrowed towards the obtuse anterior angles, these 

 are slightly deflexed so that the lateral curvature, when viewed from behind, 

 appears greater than it really is, apex and base subtruncate, the latter only 

 feebly sinuate near the sides, posterior angles very little prolonged ; its 

 surface finely, transversely crenate-strigose. Scutellum distinct, triangular. 

 Elytra thrice the length of thorax, as broad as it is at the base, slightly 

 curvedly narrowed towards the broadly rounded apices ; with fine sutural 

 striae, their sculpture similar to that of the thorax. 



Antennae shorter than head and thorax, moderately stout, basal three 

 joints subequal, sixth slightly .shorter and broader than preceding two, 

 seventh subquadrate, quite as large as ninth or tenth, the terminal conical, 

 usually paler than the infuscate enlarged joints, eighth small, strongly 

 transverse. 



Front and hind tibiae nearly straight, the middle pair only slightly 

 curved, bispinose ; basal joint of anterior tarsi oblong, moderately dilated, 

 second short, third and fourth small, but little thicker than the elongate 

 fifth, basal joint of the intermediate slightly thicker than that of the 

 posterior. 



Fern. — Front tarsi shorter and more slender than the other pairs. 



Underside fuscous, subnitid, with yellowish-grey pubescence. Meso- 

 sternum finely carinate. Ventral segments 1-4 subequal, fifth semicircularly 

 emarginate behind, very short in the middle, sixth rather narrow, sub- 

 truncate behind, as long as the third. 



Most nearly allied to M. puncticeps (278), which has the thoracic apex 

 rounded. 



<J. Length, 3 mm. ; breadth, 1 J mm. 



Eotoiti, Nelson. Found by Mr. T. Hall on the 10th March, 1916. 



4178. Mesocolon nitidulus sp. nov. 



Oblong-oval, only moderately convex, nitid ; almost uniformly light 

 chestnut-red, terminal half of antennae a little infuscate ; pubescence 

 decumbent, yellowish-grey. 



Head distinctly but not closely punctured, the interantennal suture 

 quite definite. Thorax half as long as broad, base and apex subtruncate, 

 posterior angles not perceptibly prolonged ; its surface nearly smooth, 

 apparently remotely and very minutely granulate. Scutellum triangular. 

 Elytra broadly rounded behind, with well-developed sutural striae and 

 transversely crenate-strigose sculpture. 



Antennae as long as the head and thorax, longer than those of 

 M. strigicollis, rather more slender, but with almost similarly formed 

 articulations. 



Unmistakably different from M. strigicollis in facies ; the thorax a 

 trifle shorter, more truncate and with less rounded angles in front, its 

 sculpture materially different ; elytral apices not visibly individually 

 rounded, sutural striae deeper ; scutellum broader, and the eyes more 

 distinctly faceted. 



$. Length, 2| mm. ; breadth, 1 \ mm. 



Near Howard River, Nelson ; 10th May, 1915. A single female, from 

 Mr. T. Hall. 



41 79. > Mesocolon labralis sp. nov. 



Oval, convex, narrowed posteriorly, nitid ; thinly clothed with sub- 

 Hepressed, slender and elongate yellowish-grey hairs ; fuscous, the head 



