OF NEW ZEALAND. 1141 



apex. Thorax strongly transverse, narrowed behind, its sides more 

 or less crenate, its granules as obvious as but more distant than those 

 on the head. Elytra moderately coarsely and closely, almost 

 rugosely, punctured, their pubescence conspicuous. Antenna 

 elongate, third joint intermediate between the second and fourth as 

 regards size. 



Underside more or less dusky, more finely clothed than the 

 upper surface. 



This species comes near A. testacea, having the head and thorax 

 similarly sculptured ; in both species the lateral margins of the 

 thorax are subcrenate. 



Length, If lines ; breadth, f line. 



Mount Egmont. Elevation about 3,000ft. 



OBS. Whilst working at this and other allied species I had occa- 

 sion to make a critical examination of the characters assigned to 

 White's genus Atopida by Dr. Sharp. Dr. Sharp's diagnosis is very 

 misleading. In his description of the genus Cyphanus he states 

 (page 309), " This is the only group of New Zealand species having 

 the labial palpi furcate." Again, at page 312, when describing 

 Atopida, he states, " Labial palpi very small and not furcate ;" and, 

 further on, " but as the remarkable labial palpi of the Cyphanus 

 group strongly differentiate it." I first of all examined the rather 

 large species Atopida brouni, and, having satisfied myself as to the 

 real structure of the labial palpi, I proceeded to do the same with 

 A. lawsoni, A. testacea, and A. hirta. I found that the actual 

 structure is exactly the same in all these species, as well as in A. 

 dorsale, so that the description given by Dr. Sharp must be materially 

 modified. The following will truly express the necessary cor- 

 rection : 



Labial palpi distinctly furcate, the terminal joint being articu- 

 lated near to the base of the penultimate, so as to be almost at right 

 angles to that joint. 



In those species which bear granules on the head or thorax there 

 is a puncture in each granule, sometimes small, in other cases large. 



Mesocyphon. 



2024. M. pallidus, n.s. Oviform, not narrow, subdepressed ; 

 head and thorax rufo- testaceous, slightly glossy, scantily clothed 

 with long, slender, yellowish hairs ; elytra opaque, testaceous, 

 densely covered with short brassy hairs; palpi blackish, legs and 

 antennae testaceous, sometimes a little infuscate. 



Head not so broad as thorax, its sculpture indefinite, appearing 

 either punctate or finely and distantly granulate according to the 

 light and position in which it is examined. Antenna stout, not 

 short, third joint longer than second, but shorter than fourth. Pro- 

 thorax transverse, bisinuate at base, much more feebly in front, 

 posterior angles nearly rectangular but not acute, sides slightly 

 curved, front angles obtuse ; its sculpture rather finer than that of 



