1 54 COLEOPTERA 



each side of the suture, and their whole surface is impressed with irregu- 

 lar longitudinal lines crossed by finer ones, so that the sculpture resembles 

 fine lattice-work. The legs are clothed with fine yellow hairs, and the 

 posterior tibia are finely spinose externally. 



Length, ij line; breadth, f. 



I have one male specimen of a pale yellowish-chestnut colour, with the 

 elytral disc only, a little infuscate. I found six examples at Tairua and 

 near Whangarei Harbour. 



277. M. liturata, n.s. Somewhat similar to M. dathrata, but 

 smaller, with much shorter antennae. The head and thorax are blackish, 

 the latter with a suffused castaneous spot near each hind angle, elytra 

 dull, dark-chestnut, the anterior part reddish, legs red, antennae infuscate, 

 with the last and the five basal joints testaceous. 



The head is shining, distinctly and rather closely punctured. Thorax 

 rather long, considerably narrowed in front, with its apex rounded, not 

 at all truncate as in the other species, and impressed with irregular, 

 longitudinal lines ; the elytra are almost similarly sculptured, the inter- 

 vening linear spaces, however, appear slightly elevated, so as to give 

 them a somewhat roughened aspect. 



The insect possesses this peculiarity, that whilst the anterior tarsi 

 are slender, the middle are stout, with an enlarged basal joint, and the 

 tibial spurs are rather short and stout. 



Length, i J line ; breadth, nearly J. 



. In this, and the immediately following species (M. puncticeps\ the 

 antennae are shorter than the head and thorax (in set-out examples), 

 gradually incrassated, except where the outline is interrupted by the 

 rather broad seventh and small eighth joints, joints four to six are short, 

 almost transversal, and the eighth, though very short, is nearly as broad 

 as the contiguous ones. 



278. M. puncticeps, n.s. This is a rather broad, oblong-oval 

 species, with a short prothorax, not greatly narrowed in front ; its head 

 is closely punctured ; the longitudinal lines on the thorax are crossed by 

 finer ones, so that its sculpture is similar to that of the elytra, which have 

 a fine sutural stria and lateral rim on each. 



The body is pubescent, of a dark-chestnut colour, with paler elytra, 

 and the pubescence of the thorax being somewhat congregated near the 

 sides causes these parts to appear yellowish ; the legs and antennae are 

 reddish, the latter more or less infuscate. 



Length, ij line ; breadth, J nearly. 



I found three more or less mutilated individuals, one a male, having 

 the basal joint only of the front tarsus dilated, and rather elongate. This 

 species may be at once separated from the others by the sculpture of the 

 head and thorax. 



279. M. undulata, n.s. Oval, moderately convex, slightly glossy, 

 variegated, yellow and castaneous ; differing in form from the preceding 

 (M. clathrata, &c.) ; the yellow predominates on the head and thorax, 



