226 Major T. Broun on new Genera and 



no group ready for its reception ; it most nearly resembles 

 the P?ederidae, but its structure forbids such an association. 

 If placed with genera having four-jointed tarsi, its other 

 structural characters would uot accord with tlieirs. The 

 labial palpi and mentum are not discerniMe when examined 

 with a half-inch lens in the microscope. The closely serrate 

 front of the head resembles in miniature that of an Ateuchus. 



Protopristus minutus, sp. n. 



Slender, slightly nitid, rufo-testaceous, the palpi, antenn e, 

 and tarsi fiavescent ; pubescence distinct, pale greyisli 

 yellow. 



Head slightly convex, moderately finely but not closely 

 punctured ; just behind each antenna there is a dark, deep, 

 but not coarse puncture. AntenncB apparently glabrous. 

 Thorax longer than broad, rounded towards the base, its 

 punctuation indistinct. Elytra shorter than thorax, base and 

 apex incurved, somewhat rounded laterally, distinctly but 

 not very closely punctate, the suture indistinct. Hind body 

 rather finely but not closely sculptured, its apical segments 

 paler than the others. 



Underside pale rufo-castaneous, finely punctate and 

 pubescent. 



Length | ; breadth nearly \ line. 



Broken River, Canterbury. 



We are indebted to Mr. J. H. Lewis for having brought 

 this fragile creature to light. 



The generic description has been drawn up from a specimen 

 specially prepared and mounted on glass, the specific from 

 two on cardboard. Those on cardboard could not be entirely 

 cleared from sappy matter without destroying them. 



Group Staphylinidae. 

 Quedius hilaris, sp. n. 



Subdepressed, elongate ; head and thorax glossy seneous 

 black, hind body violaceous black and iridescent ; mandibles 

 red ; basal three joints of antennge rufescent, the others 

 opaque, fuscous, and densely pubescent; legs piceous, tarsi 

 reddish. 



AntewKB just reaching base of thorax, third joint longer 

 and more slender than second; joints 5-10 suboblong, more 

 slender at base than at apex, eleventh more prolonged 

 apically at one side than the other. Heact subrotundate, 

 rather sliort and broad, with two distinct frontal punctures 

 and four or five alongside each eye ; there are also a few 

 minute indistinct punctures, but at the sides and behind the 



