African and Asiatic Species of Melyr is. 217 



sharply triangular. 6-10 produced on the inner side into a 

 dentiform ramus, 11 concavo-truncate at the apex. Pro- 

 thorax strongly transverse, arcuately narrowed from the base 

 forward, the base itself feebly sinuate, the hind angles obtuse : 

 without lateral carina or definite median groove, the margins 

 narrowly exphmate. Elytra broader than the prothorax, 

 widening to near the apex, the margins explanate from a 

 little below the shoulder to the sutural angle, the inferior 

 edge crenulate throughout : sharply trieostate, the inter- 

 spaces feebly transversely wrinkled, coarsely biseriate- 

 punctate, and each with an intermediate row of smaller 

 punctures. Ventral segments very sparsely, minutely punc- 

 tate ; 5 truncate at apex, 6 depressed in the middle anteriorlv. 

 Legs slender, comparatively short ; tarsal claws rather small, 

 sharply toothed near the base. 



Length 4^, breadth .2 mm. 



Hub. S.E. Afkica, Umfuli (G. A. K. Marshall: ix. 1895). 



One specimen. A small, oblong, depressed, metallic blue 

 iusect. with rufescent legs and abdomen, agreeing with M. 

 testaceipes, Fairm. fl888j, from Owampo. in wanting the 

 marginal carina on the prothorax, a character common to the 

 Palfearctic M. granulata, F., and its allies. M. testaceipes, 

 length 7 mm., must have a longer prothorax, more rounded 

 elytra, See., than the present species. M. obscuritarsis. Pic 

 (Col. Rundschau, i. p. 53, 1912), from the Panzani Falls, 

 compared with M. lineata, Fabr., by its describer, is some- 

 what similarly coloured ; but these forms have a laterallv 

 carinate prothorax. 



79. Melyris lonpipennis, sp. u. 



<$ . Elongate, narrow, somewhat depressed, moderately 

 shining, the head, prothorax, and scutellum subopaque; black, 

 the elytra brassy green, the prothorax and under surface with 

 a faint bluish tinge : fusco-pubescent, the abdomen fringed 

 with long blackish hairs at the tip ; the head and prothorax 

 densely punctate and finely reticulate. Head short, small : 

 antennce rather short, joints 5-10 broad. Prothorax trans- 

 verse, gradually narrowed from near the base, depressed 

 laterally and obliquely grooved on each side of the median 

 sulcus, the lateral carina wanting, the hind angles obtuse. 

 Elytra much wider than the prothorax, elongate, subparallel, 

 rounded at the apex ; rather sharply trieostate, the inter- 

 spaces alutaceous and triseriate-punctate. the inferior margin 

 crenulate. Ventral segment 5 slightly hollowed at apex. 



