OF NEW ZEALAND. 627 



angulis posterioribus minute prominulis, basi truncate. Elytra ad 

 angulos humerales pliculis elevatis. Pedes crassiusculi, tarsorum ungui- 

 culis basi appendiculatis. 



Head deflexed, inserted as far as the back of the eyes, which are 

 convex. Front coxa rather widely separated, the central part of the 

 prosternum only half as long as the sides of the thorax. Middle coxae 

 rather widely separated ; metasternum very short ; hind coxae only a 

 little more distant from one another than the front ones are ; in form 

 they are rather short and transverse. Fourth ventral segment abbreviated 

 in the middle, fifth short and indistinct. Elytra convex and bulged, 

 rather produced at the extremity, near the rounded and indistinct 

 humeral angles, with some short longitudinal elevations or folds. Legs 

 rather short and stout, tibia without grooves or notches ; the claws of 

 the tarsi thick at their base, so as to appear appendiculate. 



These curious insects, from the structure of their tarsi and general 

 characters, must no doubt be classified in the Eumolpides, but I fail to 

 discover in Chapuis' work any near ally for them ; and must leave their 

 exact position doubtful for the present. The species appear to be 

 extremely rare, only one or two of each having as yet been found. 



1 1 01. P. SUffllSUS, Sharp; Entom. Mon. Mag., Oct., 1876, 

 /. 101. Fuscus, nitidus, antennis pedibusque dilutioribus, fere testa- 

 ceis ; prothorace parce minus distincte punctate, maculis pallidioribus 

 vagis ; elytris parce irregulariter punctatis, apice et pliculis humeralibus 

 testaceis. 



Long, corp., 5 mm. 



Antenna reddish, 3 mm. in length, second joint much shorter than 

 the others, so that it is scarcely longer than broad, fourth shorter than 

 third, eleventh joint elongate, longer than the tenth. Head rather 

 broad, indistinctly punctured. Thorax rather large, broader than long, 

 the sides much broadest in the middle, and narrowed to the base, so 

 that the outline of the insect is much interrupted in the middle, the 

 front angles greatly deflexed but rather acute, the hind angles with a 

 minute sharp projection ; it is shining and quite free from pubescence, 

 almost of a pitchy colour, with paler indistinct spaces, only sparingly 

 punctured. Elytra sparingly and irregularly punctured. Legs yellowish. 



Auckland (sent by Mr. Lawson). Captain Broun has also recently 

 sent me a specimen which may be a female variety of the Auckland 

 species ; it is rather smaller and narrower, the surface more distinctly 

 punctured, the colour rather darker, and all the tarsi a good deal more 

 slender. Captain Broun's specimen was found on the i6th January, in 

 the Hikuwai forest, Tairua. 



1 102. P. antiquus, Sharp; Entom. Mon. Mag., Oct., 1876, 

 /. 102. Fuscus, vix seneo-micans ; antennis rufis, pedibus testaceis; 

 elytris humeris apiceque dilutioribus, fere punctato-striatis, pliculis 

 elongatis. 



Long, corp., 4^ mm. 



