172 COLEOPTERA 



rather strongly emarginated in front, the latter entire, rounded at their 

 extremity and overlapping the abdomen. Tarsi simple ; a very small 

 additional abdominal segment among the males. 



308. S. hystrix, Sharp ; Entom. Man. Mag,, July, i8y6,/. 26. 

 Nigro rufoque variegata ; supra tomentosa et setis erectis adspersa; 

 prothorace lateribus undulatis. 



Long, corp., 3 mm. 



Antennae obscure reddish, first joint very broad and dilated, second 

 rather broader than the slender third joint, fourth and fifth distinctly 

 longer than the following, which are short and small, ninth to eleventh 

 forming a rather long club. Head blackish, dull, covered with 

 tomentum, and with some erect setae, the eyes bearing a patch of setae. 

 Thorax strongly transverse, the front margin sinuate on each side, the 

 lateral margins waved so as to show three or four broad shallow emar- 

 ginations, the base at the hind angles cut away (or suddenly narrowed), 

 the hind angles sharply defined right angles ; the colour is blackish 

 with red marks at the sides ; the surface being uneven, velvetty, and 

 bearing short black setae. Elytra reddish, but rendered black by their 

 clothing, which consists of a kind of tomentum, accumulated at some 

 points into thicker patches, and bearing erect setae, most of which are 

 black, but those about the margins are paler. Legs reddish. Under- 

 surface infuscate-red, passing into blackish about the middle. 



Tairua (Captain Broun). 



OBS. Though this peculiar little insect bears at first sight but little 

 resemblance to our European Soronice, I believe, from my examination, 

 that they are its nearest allies ; and do not detect any prominent 

 structural characters to distinguish it. I anticipate, from the specimens 

 before me, that the species varies a good deal in colour. 



309. S. optata, Sharp ; Entom. Mon. Mag., July, 1878, /. 48. 

 Oblonga, nigro-fusca, antennis, pedibus, prothorads elytrorumque limbo 

 rufescentibus, supra tomento obscuro, setisque deorsum curvatis vestita; 

 elytris pone medium fascia undulata colore dilutiore. 



Long., vix 4 mm. ; lat., i- mm. 



This insect is rather long and narrow in form. The eyes are rather 

 small, but very prominent ; the thorax is much emarginate in front, 

 nearly straight, and not undulate at the sides, the hind angles obliquely 

 truncate; its surface is a little uneven, and its sculpture is quite con- 

 cealed by the obscure tomentum and setae which it bears. The elytra 

 are clothed in a similar manner, so that their sculpture is also obscure. 



This species cannot be confounded with Soronia hystrix, on account 

 of its very different outline ; it has also the setre of the upper surface 

 very different, for, instead of being upright and very conspicuous as in 

 that species, they are arched or bent down, so as to escape notice when 

 only a superficial observation is made. 



I have seen but one individual ; it was from Mr. Bakewell's col- 

 lection, where it was merely labelled New Zealand. 



