87 



• Dr. R. C. L. Perkins exhibited two species of the Coleop- 

 teron Xyleborus, a male and female of each. The scooped-out 

 head of 'the former as distinct from the normal head of the lat- 

 ter was the principal feature of the exhibit. Dr. Perkins also 

 exhibited six species of Plagithmysus and one of Clytarlus, col- 

 lected at the Volcano House. One species of the former was 

 undescribed and would shortly be named by him after Mr. 

 Giffard. He also exhibited a specimen of an undescribed species 

 of Callithymstis, taken on a stump of Mamake (Pipturus alhidus) 

 on Mt. Tantalus. 



Papers. 

 On a Species of Proterhinus from Samoa [Coleoptera]. 

 By R. C. L. Perkins, D. Sc. 



The genus Proterhinus, constituting the family Proterhinidae, 

 with not less than 130 known species inhabitating the Hawaiian 

 group, has hitherto been recorded only from these islands. I am 

 now able to describe a species from the Samoan group, distant 

 from the Hawaiian by more than two thousand miles, and lying 

 directly between the latter and New Zealand. It will be remem- 

 bered that New Zealand is the home of one of the two species of 

 Aglycyderes , constituting by themselves a peculiar family, and 

 one which alone amongst the Coleoptera has any possible affinity 

 to the Proterhinidae. I anticipate that when the islands of the 

 Southern Pacific are thoroughly investigated by skilled collectors 

 of Micro-coleoptera that other forms of Proterhinidae will be 

 discovered, and possibly some that will more nearly connect these 

 with Aglycyderes. The Samoan species here described is one of 

 the smallest in the genus, and superficially (in form colour and 

 clothing) quite resembles some of the more commonplace Hawaii- 

 an forms, so far as the S sex (which alone is known to me) is con- 

 cerned. The single example was bred from the woody drupe or 

 the stem of attachment of a cocoanut, imported as seed from 

 Samoa. No species of Proterhinus is known to affect the cocoa- 

 nut in the Hawaiian islands, nor indeed is any native wood-eating 

 beetle to be found on the lowlands here, all such having been 

 exterminated by certain foreign ants within the range of which 

 they cannot exist. 



