1292 COLEOPTERA 



there bears a small yellow crest ; between tbe suture and this raised 

 part the punctures are coarse and serial ; there is a similar eleva- 

 tion at the shoulder, also with a yellow tuft, but not extending as 

 far back as the other ; there are besides a small yellow spot near 

 each middle thigh, and another on top of hind slope ; the punctua- 

 tion very coarse near the base and along the sides, shallow near the 

 hind declivity, and, though coarse, not close together; pubescence 

 very fine, greyish, but more or less maculate behind. Femora cla- 

 vate, base reddish, the rest piceous, pubescence greyish ; tibiae and 

 tarsi yellow, the base and a spot half-way down (tibiae) fuscous. 



Fern. Thorax transverse, densely punctured throughout, elytral 

 elevations less distinct. 



Closely allied to No. 1052, a male, elevations on elytra similar ; 

 thorax narrow, densely punctate. 



$ . Length, 3J ; breadth, If lines. 



Howick, one male ; Tairua (1884), one female. 



2273. S. variegata, n.s. Shining, rather pale coppery-brown ; 

 densely covered with short greyish-yellow and fine ash-coloured 

 hairs, the former cover most of the thorax, form a broad irregular 

 fascia near the middle of elytra, and a curved much-interrupted one 

 just below the top of hind slope, the sides of which bear similar 

 pubescence. 



Thorax rather broader than long, its sides regularly curved, but 

 not strongly, so that the base is but little narrowed, punctures 

 moderately coarse but distant. Scutellum broad. Elytra elongate- 

 oval, not very convex, of the same width as thorax at the base ; 

 each with a slight, almost obsolete costa midway between the 

 shoulder and suture, extending to top of hind slope ; there are few 

 punctures, all widely separated. Antenna nearly as long as the 

 body, fourth joint nearly one-third longer than fifth, shorter than 

 third ; basal joint covered with yellowish pubescence ; the others 

 infuscate-red, 5-9 pallid at base. Legs (except fuscous spot near 

 top of tibiae) yellowish, base of femora rufescent. 



S. terrestre is undoubtedly the most similar species ; this, how- 

 ever, is broader, the thorax is shorter, the body less medially con- 

 tracted, differently sculptured and coloured. It is the only species 

 with a yellow basal joint of the antennae. 



Except Nos. 1048 and 1051, the species of this genus are 

 extremely rare, so that there is usually great difficulty in determining 

 the sexes. 



Length, 3 ; breadth, If lines. 



Parua, near Whangarei Harbour. One example. 



2274. S. Simplex, n.s. Suborjaque, castaiieo-fuscous, densely 

 covered with very fine, decumbent, tawny or pale-brown pubescence ; 

 legs somewhat testaceous, the base of the tibiae, and about half of 

 each thigh, more or less fuscous; the extremity of the antennal 

 joints but little darker than other portions ; palpi yellowish. 



In form very much like S. antarctica but rather narrower, the 



