428 On new Coleoptera from New Zealand. 



Var. — Body more rufescent, apical half of antennse not 

 infuscate. 



Length 1|, breadth quite j line. 



West Plains, Invercargill. This species bears the name 

 of its discoverer, Mr. Alfred Philpott. 



Omalium perplexum, sp. n. 



Suhparallel^ rather flat, shining, piceous ; the thorax and 

 shoulders (sometimes tlie whole base of the elytra) chestnut- 

 red ; legs paler, tarsi testaceous. 



Head much narrowed in front of the eyes, with two broad 

 longitudinal impressions, its punctuation moderately coarse 

 and close, but nearly quite wanting in front. Eyes large and 

 prominent. Antennae, as long as the head and thorax, the 

 basal five joints shining red ; second joint thicker but hardly 

 as long as the third, the following small and bead-like, 6 to 10 

 about twice the width of the preceding one, densely pubescent 

 and opaque, eleventh larger than tenth, also dark. Thorax 

 broader than long, front angles rounded, its sides finely mar- 

 gined and nearly straight behind ; basal angles rectangular, 

 but not acute ; its sculpture is a little coarser than that of the 

 head, but the narrow space along the middle is smooth ; at 

 each side of this smooth space there is a laige but not very 

 deep impression, which approaches the base more than it does 

 the apex; there is another impression at each side. Elytra 

 evidently longer than broad, parallel-sided ; their sculpture 

 consists of almost regular series of distinct punctures, inter- 

 stices very slightly raised ; near the apices the punctuation 

 becomes irregular ; they bear only a few short, slender, scarcely 

 noticeable hairs. Hind body not larger than the elytra, finely 

 punctate, with fine but quite distinct pubescence; the basal 

 three segments broadly margined, the fourth more finely 

 margined and a good deal longer than the third; its apex 

 and the terminal segment are castaneous. Tihice with fine, 

 short, erect setse. Sexual characters normal. 



'i . Slightly larger, darker ; the pubescence on the head and 

 thorax, though fine, can be easily seen. 



0. Helmsi, Fauvel, in. litt., is very much like this species, 

 but it has the sides of the thorax more rounded before the 

 middle, and its punctures are almost disposed in longitudinal 

 rows ; the setfe on the tibiai are more numerous and the colo- 

 ration is different. 



Length Ij, breadth | line. 



Invercargill. Mr. Philpott, one pair. 



[To be continued.] 



