130 



transversely. Its front edge is nitid and somewhat prominent, 

 so that viewed from a point similar to that from wliich the under- 

 surface of the liead in P. sericns presents tln-ee transverse nitid 

 ridges, the front of the submentum and of the piece between the 

 eyes appear as two nitid ridges (the hindmost one of P. serious 

 appearing to be wanting). The feeble emargination of the apex 

 of the elytra and the non-spiniform extremities of the same are 

 also distinctive. From P. hoops this insect is at once distinguished 

 inter alia by the much wider separation of its eyes both above and 

 beneath, and by its wonderful antenna?. 



I have named this species after Prof. Tate, who has proved the 

 singular versatility of his abilities in Natural History by dis- 

 covering this and others of our most interesting Australian 

 Coleoptera, in spite of his having treated the Coleoptera as quite 

 a subordinate object of study. 



South Australia ; near Eucla. 



N.B. — I have before me examples of all the described Aus- 

 tralian species of this genus. P. Australasiae, Hoj^e, is dis- 

 tinguished i7iter alia by the antennae of the male being much 

 longer than the body ; the structure of the head and eyes is almost 

 as in P. hoops. P. pjicipemiis, Germ., has the antennae of the male 

 a little longer than the body, and the head and eyes very similar 

 to those of P. Tatei, although on the undersurface the front 

 margin of the piece between the eyes is much less prominent in 

 an upward direction. P. nuhilus, Pasc, has antennae more feebly 

 dilated in the male than in P. serious, the structure of the head 

 resembling that of P. hoops, but with the eyes separated a little 

 more widely above and much more widely beneath. 



DIDYMOCANTHA. 



J), nigra, sp. nov. $ (?) Elongata; nitida; nigra; femoribus basi 

 rufis ; antennis obscure rufis (articulis 1° omnino, 3" et sequen- 

 tibus apicem versus, iDicescentibus) ; his corpore jDaullo minus 

 dimidio brevioribus, nitidis, setis subtilibus elongatis sparsim 

 vestitis, articulo 1° sat incrassato fortiter (ceteris subtiliter) 

 punctulato quam 7""* vix longiori, 2° minuto,3" omnium longis- 

 simo, 4° quam 3"^ parum breviori, ceteris gradatim parum bre- 

 vioribus, articulis 4-10 leviter compi^essis apice intus sat pro- 

 ductisnec spinosis ; prothorace quam longiori fere duplo latiori, 

 crebre fortiter confluenter rugulose punctulato, in medio 

 longitudinaliter irregulariter laevi, pilis sat brevibus erectis 

 sparsim vestito, nee tuberculato nee spinoso, lateribus minus 

 arcuatis mox pone apicem et ante basin constrictis ; elytris 

 fortiter sat crebre vix rugulose punctulatis singulis leviter 

 bicostatis apice rotundatis ; pedibus modicis sparsim setosis, 

 femoribus posticis abdominis longitudinem mediam vix 



