OF NEW ZEALAND. 125 



rally redder than the other organs, and the elytra are shining yellow ; 

 the whole of the body is, more or less, clothed with rather long 

 yellowish hairs. The second antennal joint is smaller than the basal 

 one, but larger than the third ; joints three to seven are about equal to 

 one another; the fifth, however, is a little longer than those near it; 

 eighth very small ; ninth a little larger than eighth ; tenth transverse,__ 

 not twice the width of the ninth ; eleventh large, pointed ; they are 

 densely pubescent. 



Head with the vertex convex, somewhat dilated laterally and ab- ' 

 ruptly rounded behind, and, on each side, close to the eye, but rather 

 in front of it, is a large fovea. Prothorax convex, rounded, with a large 

 fovea at each side just behind the dilated portion, but without other 

 depressions ; its base is finely margined. Elytra about as long as 

 thorax, widest behind, considerably rounded laterally, with the shoulders 

 narrow ; the suture is depressed, but they are seemingly without sculp- 

 ture, and shining. Hind-body large, rounded, and convex. Legs long 

 and stout, with somewhat flexuose tibia. 



Length, i line. 



I found this fine species at Tairua, and have named it in honour of 

 Dr. Sharp, of Dumfriesshire. It may be at once distinguished from 

 B. inflata by the absence of the distinct basal impression of the thorax. 



230. B. abdominalis, n.s. This species, in general outline and 

 colouration, is very similar to B. sharpi, but it is much larger, the pubes- 

 cence, except on the hind-body, is relatively finer and more scanty ; 

 the head and thorax are shining red, not so dark as in the preceding ; 

 the legs are stout, the four hind tibiae are flexuose as in the two pre- 

 ceding species, but the anterior, from near the middle to the extremity, 

 are considerably bent inwards. The head has its vertex much elevated, 

 so that the anterior portion seems depressed, and there is a large fovea 

 near each eye, where the pubescence is conspicuous. The thorax is 

 about as long as broad, convex, and rounded, with a large fovea at 

 each side near the middle, otherwise smooth and unimpressed. Elytra 

 about as long as thorax, rounded laterally, and considerably narrowed 

 towards the shoulders ; the apex of each elytron with an obvious 

 central lobe, beyond it a sinuation, and obliquely truncated towards the 

 suture ; the sutural region is a little depressed, but the rest of their 

 surface is without distinct sculpture. Hind-body long, convex, and, 

 particularly the apical segments, densely covered with bright yellow 

 hairs. 



The chief peculiarity of this insect consists in the remarkable form 

 of the second and third last segments of the abdomen; these are deeply 

 excavated, and the margins of each terminate in two horny protu- 

 berances, the intervening space being distinctly excised and ciliated. 



When I discovered this extraordinary creature, I at first imagined 

 that the abdominal cavities had been the result of accident, but a more 

 careful examination with a microscope leaves no doubt that this struc- 

 ture is quite natural. I found one specimen at Tairua. 



Length, if lines. 



