OF NEW ZEALAND. 1445 



are distant from the front of the thorax, they are nearly flat ; near 

 each side of the thorax, in front, there is a slight sinuosity, so that 

 the anterior angles project ; the lateral margins though distinct are 

 rather thin; the apical margin of the thorax is truncate in the 

 middle, there are two elongate dorsal impressions, the borders of 

 these, and the dividing space, are nearly smooth ; the scutellum is 

 rather larger ; the tibia are more elongate, and more acutely pro- 

 duced at the outer extremity. The species is quite distinct from 

 P. sophorcB and its allies. 



Length, 2 lines ; breadth, nearly line. 



Otago. My specimen was sent by Mr. S. W. Fulton, who did a 

 great deal to enable us to obtain a better knowledge of the Coleo- 

 ptera of his neighbourhood. 



OBS. No. 1358. I found in Taranaki, near the base of Mount 

 Egmont, a varietal form, having the front of the head much narrowed 

 and produced, with the clypeus horizontal ; the appearance of these 

 parts is therefore quite unusual. 



Group-CRYPTOPHAGID^l. 



Cryptophagus (Gen., p. 224). 



2507. C. tumidus, n.s. Suboblong, moderately convex, shin- 

 ing, sparingly clothed with slender yellow hairs ; head, thorax, and 

 antennae red, legs reddish ; tarsi yellow ; a large space across the 

 elytra, before the middle, bright-fulvous. 



Head narrower than the thorax, depressed in front, with a few 

 moderately fine punctures. Eyes large and prominent. Antenna 

 with slender pallid hairs, implanted below the sides of the forehead ; 

 the exposed part of the first joint not longer than the second ; third 

 as long as second, but more slender; fifth rather longer than those 

 next to it ; sixth to eighth bead-like ; tenth rather larger than ninth ; 

 eleventh ovate. Thorax transversely quadrate, the sides finely mar- 

 gined and nearly straight ; the apex, in the middle, subtruncate, but 

 oblique or sinuate towards the sides, so that the obtuse anterior angles 

 do not extend as far forward, its widest part is in line with these 

 angles, the posterior angles are rectangular ; disc convex, moderately 

 finely and distantly punctured, the base transversely depressed or 

 flattened. Scutellum raised, strongly transverse. Elytra wider 

 than the thorax, their sides a little curved, a good deal narrowed 

 posteriorly ; the basal half finely and distantly punctured, behind 

 nearly smooth, each with a distinct sutural stria, which, however, 

 becomes obsolete towards the base ; in line with the middle thighs 

 there seems to be a depression, and in front of this, but not reaching 

 the suture, there is an obtuse elevation or swelling on each elytron 

 which appears darker in colour than the adjacent fulvous portion. 

 Tarsi pentamerous, the fifth joint as long as the basal four, which 

 are of about equal size. 



C. discoideus is a longer, less convex, and more parallel-sided 



