89 



tubercle is situated. The basal lobe of the prothorax is almost 

 parallel-sided, and occupies about the middle third part of the 

 whole width of the base, and its length is such that the portion 

 behind a straight line joining the hind angles would be about as 

 long as the scutellum. The prothorax is strongly margined all 

 round except along the hinder edge of the excavation, its front 

 angles being well defined but not very sharp, its hind angles 

 much rounded off. The prothoracic horn seems to be formed by 

 the front margin of the excavated part being reflexed upward 

 into a lamina which narrows bisinuously to a somewhat obtuse 

 point in the middle where it is at its highest (this structure is 

 best seen by viewing the insect from a point directly in front of 

 the head). Each elytron bears about 11 punctulate strise, of 

 w^hich the first is near and parallel to the suture, while the rest 

 ^re parallel (or nearly so) inter se, but run somewhat obliquely 

 irom the base hindward towards the suture ; the first interstice 

 (which is very wide in front and narrows hindward) bears numer- 

 ous large punctures ; the third a few, and the seventh a good 

 many ; the puncturation becomes confused and closer near the 

 apex along the lateral portion. 



Roebuck Bay, N.W. Australia ; sent to me by Mr. French 

 (Victorian Colonial Entomologist). 



ELATEEID^. 



PSEUDOLACON, gen. nov. 

 A Lacon differt figura angusta sat cylindrica, tarsis aliter con- 

 formatis, horum articulo 1° ajoicem versus sat fortiter, 

 ceteris invicem minus fortiter, dilatatis. 



The narrow cylindrical appearance of this insect would prevent 

 its being associated at a first glance with Lacon, but on careful 

 examination it seems to be really very near that genus, to which 

 it would be referred by the tabulation of Agrypnides in M. Can- 

 deze's "Mon. des Elaterides." I think, however, that the shape, 

 in conjunction with the peculiar structure of the tarsi, renders a 

 new name necessary. The tarsi are moderately elongate (as in 

 Lacon), but instead of being compressed and of equal width, or 

 nearly so, they are somewhat strongly dilated at the base, and 

 become gradually and strongly narrower to the apex, the last two 

 joints being very slender. Each of the first four joints is in the 

 form of a reversed cone ; the tarsus is at its widest at the apex of 

 the 1st joint, the 2nd joint being a little shorter than the 1st and 

 about half as wide, the 3rd scarcely shorter than the 2nd, but 

 narrower, the 4th a little shorter than the 3rd and much narrower, 

 the 5th scarcely shorter than the preceding three together. The 

 undersurface of the tarsi is pubescent, the first two joints of the 



