70 COLEOPTERA 



quadratis, planis, seriatim subgrosse punctatis, foveis tribus valde 

 distinctis. 



Long., 2 lin. 



Readily distinguished from allied species by the distinctly bidentate 

 sides of the thorax, and the rows of elytral punctures. The thoracic 

 dentiform projections are placed, the anterior at the apex of the usual 

 angular dilatation, the posterior just before the hind angles, the sides 

 between the two being straight. The sculpture and appearance of the 

 elytra are similar to those of the Queensland S. aneus, McLeay ; the 

 striae being not impressed, but marked by rows of large, mostly oblong 

 punctures ; there is scarcely any silky gloss, and the usual foveae are 

 small and sharply denned. The pale legs, antennae, and palpi are 

 slightly varied with fuscous, particularly at the extremities. 



Auckland (Captain Broun). 



135. S. laevigatUS, Bates; Entom. Man. Mag., August, 1878, 

 p. 58. Angustior, niger, seneo-tinctus, glaber ; capite inter oculos angus- 

 tiori, stria frontali utrinque unica ; thorace breviter cordato, marginibus 

 reflexis, haud angulatis, dorso fere Isevi ; elytris ovatis, striis punctatis 

 modice impressis vel obsoletis, foveis indistinctis ; apice recte obtuse 

 truncatis. 



Long., if lin. 



This interesting aberrant species of Scopodes is of narrower form 

 than its allies ; the head is also narrower, and the eyes, though very 

 large, less projecting. 



The thorax is of rounded cordate outline, free from angularity, and 

 the lateral rims, together with the dorsal and transverse lines, are very 

 strongly marked. 



The elytra are less squared at the shoulders, and the apical trunca- 

 ture presents no trace of sinuation ; the striae of the surface differ in 

 strength of impression, but the three foveae are, in all the examples I 

 have examined, inconspicuous. The legs, antennae, and palpi are 

 black. 



West Coast, South Island (C. M. Wakeneld). 



FAMILY DYTISCIDES. 



Mentum emarginate, provided with a median tooth, which is almost 

 invariably short and broad. Ligula horny, prominent, quadrate; its 

 paraglossae lateral, scarcely distinct. Maxilla slender, arcuated, very 

 sharp, and ciliated inwardly; their external lobe palpiform, bi-articulate. 

 Mandibles short, very robust, arched, dentate at their extremity. Labial 

 palpi composed of three joints, the maxillary of four. Antenna with 

 ten or eleven joints, generally very slender and setaceous. Posterior 

 legs compressed, natatorial among the greater number ; coxse of the 

 same pair frequently very wide, soldered to the metathorax, prolonged 

 inwardly ; tarsi five-jointed. Abdomen composed of seven segments ; 

 the three first connate, the last small and retractile. 



