OF NEW ZEALAND. 539 



ing a rather large but little flattened acuminate club. Head very short, 

 large, rather coarsely and closely punctured. Thorax about as long as 

 broad, a good deal narrowed towards the front, coarsely punctured, with 

 a very narrow space along the middle forming an obsolete carina. 



Elytra rather short, coarsely sculptured, the apical part bearing dis- 

 tinct erect tawny hairs. 



Riccarton, a single individual found by Mr. Wakefield. 



Hylastes. 



955. H. peregrinus, Chapuis; Synopsis des Scolytides, 1869, 21. 

 NOTE. I have been unable to procure .a copy of the above work, and, 

 consequently, could not undertake the description of the species of this 

 group. 



Group PLATYPID^E. 



Head free from the prothorax, vertical or oblique in front. The 

 ligula represented by a ridge of the posterior face of the mentum. 

 Labial palpi with from one to three, the maxillary with four, joints. 

 Labrum ordinarily distinct. Antenna with six apparent joints, having 

 four to the funiculus ; their club in the form of a palette, compact and 

 tomentose. Prothorax excavated laterally to facilitate the free motion 

 of the anterior femora, and very often sinuated or hollowed at the sides 

 of the pronotum ; prosternum not at all or only slightly hollowed in 

 front ; its hind margin profoundly bisinuate. Anterior coxte very robust, 

 oval, oblique : tarsi long ; their basal joint at least as long as the fol- 

 lowing conjointly, the third always entire. Metasternum very elongate. 

 Mesothoracic episterna very large, rounded anteriorly, and elevated 

 between the prothorax and elytra. 



Platypus. 



Herb st. ; Lacord. Hist, des Ins. Coleop.^ Tom. vii.,/. 391. 



Lower mentum semicircular; mentum sometimes linear and elongate, 

 never narrowed at its base. Labial palpi with two joints, the second 

 slender and a little longer than the first. A simple very elongate lobe 

 to the/ao/j, a little twisted, prolonged exteriorly and furnished with long 

 hairs. Maxillary palpi very large, membraneous, depressed, first joint 

 very large, the third and fourth articulated one within the other, fourth 

 very small. Mandibles furnished internally with two molar teeth. Lab- 

 rum very short, but little exposed. Head a little wider than the pro- 

 thorax, plane, or slightly concave in front. Scape of the antennae rather 

 large, of very variable form, but always having the funiculus at its 

 extremity, first and second joints of the funiculus obconical, a little 

 longer than joints three and four, its last transversal ; club oval. Eyes 

 finely granulated, rather large, oval, or oblong-oval, sub-vertical, rather 

 prominent, sometimes a little sinuated in front. Prothorax very rarely 



