69 



In the male the anterior tarsi are rather strongly dilated, on 

 the upper surface the apical segment of the hind body ends in 

 four sharj) teeth, and on the under surface the penultimate seg- 

 ment of the hind body is sinuous or feebly emarginate in the 

 middle and tlie apical segment is very deeply incised (the middle 

 of the incision being convex hindward), both these segments 

 Jiaving a conspicuous pencil of long cilia' on either side. 



I hesitate a little as to whether this species should be referred 

 to Tacliinus or Tachinoderus. The principal distinctions between 

 the two (I know Tachinoderus only by description) appears to be 

 that the latter has the mesosternum carinate and the hind body 

 margined only at the base, while the mesosternum of the former 

 is simple and the entire hind body strongly margined. In the 

 present insect the mesosternum is not quite so evenly rounded as 

 in the European Tachini, but certainly cannot be called carinate, 

 and the hind body has an entire margin, but it is very much nar- 

 rower than in the European Tachini. The mouth organs seem 

 to agree in all respects with those of Tacliinus ; these, ho^^^ever, 

 are described as being similar in Tachinoderus also. 



In order to compare this species with some well-known one, I 

 place it beside a specimen of the European T. margineUus, Fab. 

 (which Mr. Olliffe reports from Sydney ; probably introduced), 

 and find that besides the structural distinctions mentioned above, 

 it difters in its elytra being somewhat longei' in proportion, its 

 prothorax and head almost la?vigate (under a high power some 

 sparse very line puncturation can be detected), its elytra with 

 puncturation much more sparse and feebly impressed ^\'ith a longi- 

 tudinal depression on either side of the suture, making the latter 

 appear carinate, and with the apex evidently more rounded, and 

 the puncturation of its hind body decidedly stronger with a more 

 or less longitudinal arrangement giving the appearance somewhat 

 of longitudinal wrinkles. 



Mountains of Victoria; a single example imbedded in snow. 



IIETf:ROTHOPS. 



II. taurus, Blackb. I find that I was in error in referring this 

 species to Ileterothops. An examination of its prothoracic stig- 

 mata has satisfied me that it is a Quedius, and should stand near 

 (J. hyhridns, Er. The short acutely-pointed apical joint of the 

 maxillary palpi misled me, but now, knowing the species to be a 

 Quedius, I can see that even those organs are not really inconsis- 

 tent. From Q. hyhridus it may be distinguished inter alia by its 

 antennae entirely red. 



QUf:DIUS. 



Q. CAbprinus, Fauv. (var. ? Jkddiensis). Sat dense subtiliter 

 fulvo-pubescens \ piceus ; antennis basi et apice, ore, pedi- 



