2l6 COLEOPTERA 



at all ovate as in R. aterrimus and R. penstts, and rather wider in front 

 than behind ; it has an impunctate dorsal groove from base to apex, and 

 one at each side of it, which at the base appear foveiform, and become 

 a mere series of deep punctures towards the front, but not reaching the 

 apex. The elytra are convex, rather short, almost oviform, with tuber- 

 cular humeral angles and very slightly sinuated base ; each bears six 

 discoidal strise, which have a somewhat interrupted appearance, owing 

 to the intervals between some of the rather large sometimes confluent 

 punctures, being of nearly the same plane as the interstices ; the sculp- 

 ture near the apex is similar to that of the three preceding species. 



The form of the head is peculiar ; the general outline is not mate- 

 rially different, but it is deflexed, and its basal portion is as wide as the 

 thorax, which is not the case with the other species ; the lateral basal 

 lobes are narrow or compressed, the dorsal space is almost elongate- 

 triangular, extending from the neck where it is widest and most elevated, 

 but becoming much narrower in front ; this central space is separated 

 from the lobes by a groove at each side, and these are connected with a 

 frontal depression at each side which intervenes between the side lobes, 

 dorsal space, and antennal orbits. 



The femora are only sub-dentate, and the apex of the hind tibia is 

 not distinctly spined. 



The body is nearly nude, of a shining pitchy-black colour, the antennae 

 and legs being pitchy-red. 



Length, 2 lines ; breadth, \. 



I found this species also in the forests near Whangarei Harbour. 



381. R. proprius, n.s. Elongate, sub-cylindrical, rather depressed, 

 of a glossy reddish-black, with dark-red legs and antennae, and rufescent 

 tarsi and palpi. 



Head rather small, having two inter-antennal punctiform impressions, 

 and two oblique furrows proceeding from the antennae and becoming 

 confluent in front of the base. Prothorax oblong, very slightly rounded 

 laterally, its base almost rounded; two more or less curved broad 

 grooves proceed from the base, where they are foveiform, and terminate 

 near the apex in a large depression occupying the space between the 

 sides, the intermediate dorsal space is indistinctly impressed longi- 

 tudinally and depressed anteriorly. Elytra a little narrower than the 

 thorax, with porrected tubercular shoulders, and a deep oblong scutellar 

 depression ; the sutural space is rather flattened and well limited by two 

 broad grooves proceeding from the base and uniting at the apex, another 

 similar furrow extends from each shoulder but does not attain the apex ; 

 otherwise they are without impressions of any kind. 



Legs robust ; the anterior tibiae of normal structure, the intermediate 

 and posterior terminate inwardly in a large dentiform protuberance, 

 below which the small spurs are inserted. Antenna sparsely pilose, 

 with joints two to ten moniliform, the apical larger than tenth, oval 

 and acuminate. In one specimen the third and fourth joints of the 

 antennae coalesce, so as to form one large cylindrical articulation. 



The peculiar form of the four hind tibia will at once lead to the 

 recognition of the species. 



