452 Capt. T. Broun on new 



thorax ; basal four joints glabrous, the others pubescent. Eyes 

 prominent. Thorax of nearly equal length and breadth, apex 

 slightly incurved, base feebly emarginate, lateral margins 

 crenulate and hispid ; it is widest near the middle and more 

 or less abruptly constricted towards the base; the basal fossa3 

 and central longitudinal groove are well marked ; the trans- 

 verse linear sculpture of its surface is most obvious near the 

 sides, the basal and apical impressions are longitudinal. 

 Elytra elongate, oviform ; sutural region nearly plane and 

 feebly strigose, the other portions are without regular stride or 

 serial punctures and appear as if covered with much inter- 

 rupted cost 86 or eaten ulate sculpture. 



Legs moderately slender, anterior tibiae slightly produced. 



Underside glossy pitchy black ; the sides of the head and 

 flanks of presternum densely rugose ; abdomen more finely 

 sculptured, with transverse linear impressions on the terminal 

 segments. 



llie species may be readily recognized by the very irre- 

 gular, almost chain-like sculpture of the elytra. 



Length 11-13, breadth nearly 3i lines. 



Te Oneroa, west coast of Otago. 



Three examples kindly forwarded by Mr. P. Seymour. 



Mecodtma nitidum, sp. n. 



Elongate] brilliant pitchy black; the terminal articulations 

 of the antenna, the basal portions of the joints of the posterior 

 tarsi, and the claws rufescent. 



Bead with coarse rugaj, chiefly longitudinal, the sculpture 

 behind the eyes almost punctiform. Eyes small but promi- 

 nent. Thorax very nearly as long as broad (2 lines), its 

 sides rounded, abruptly contracted at the base, lateral margins 

 crenulate ; the disk bears transverse stri^ which are deepest 

 towards the sides; near the deeply impressed dorsal groove 

 these strige seem irregular, owing to the presence of short 

 oblique or longitudinal stria? ; near the front and base the 

 rug£e are longitudinal, the basal foveje are deep, close to each 

 side, but more distant from the hind margin ; this last and 

 the apex are incurved. Elytra elongate, oval, their sculpture 

 well marked, consisting of series of {mnctiform impressions; 

 the two series nearest to each side of the suture are elongated 

 and rather irregular, the third and fourth are deeper, evidently 

 larger and distinctly longer; those nearer the sides are also 

 deep, but many are of quite rounded outline. 



Tarsi setose, the basal three joints of the anterior prolonged 

 at the outer extremity. The middle tibue rather more asperate 

 and setose externally than the posterior. 



