species of Next'- Zealand Coleoptera. 337 



or less punctate, apical sculpture somewhat irregular and 

 coarse. 



Underside almost smooth, with six punctures at the extre- 

 mity of the last ventral segment ; on the middle of the back 

 part of the head there are two fine longitudinal lines and 

 numerous fine transverse linear impressions. 



Its natural position is between Al. constrictum and the larger 

 M. loiviccps. From the former it may be easily distinguished 

 by its greater bulk, less attenuate hind body, darker legs, and 

 by the absence of any incurvature near the intermediate 

 femora. In M. Iceviceps the elytral striaa are deeper at the 

 base, so as to appear ribbed theic. 



Length 11^ ; breadth 3^ lines. 



Castle Hill (/. n. Emjs) ; Broken River (J. H. Lewis). 



Obs. — Tliree specimens are before me. The Broken River 

 specimen is minus an antenna and two legs, and differs in 

 having the sides of the thorax in front somewhat pinched in, 

 so that the lateral channels are a little explanate ; this, 

 however, does not alter the general contoui', as described 

 above. 



Mecodema lewi'si, sp. n. 



Robust, only moderately convex, shining black ; palpi and 

 ^arsi piceo-rufous ; legs, antennae, and labrum rufo-piceous ; 

 the elytra sometimes of a chocolate hue and subopaque. 



Head large, with several distinct longitudinal sulci near 

 the eyes and in front, finer and more irregular ones on the 

 vertex, and a few m.ore or less evident punctures behind ; the 

 central space between the antennse is smooth. Thorax 

 4^ lines broad, 3^ ^on^, nearly parallel-sided from the front 

 for two-thirds of its length, from thence strongly curvate, so 

 that the base is barely 3 linos in width, base and apex sub- 

 truncate; lateral margins entire, perceptibly more expanded 

 in front than at the middle ; disk more or less feebly trans- 

 versely striate, basal and apical longitudinal stria3 only 

 moderately impr\^ssed, median sulcus distinct, basal fossse 

 large ; there are two shallow foveas just behind the middle, 

 and the same number, but more irregular in form, near the 

 front; these appear in one specimen (the larger), but not in 

 the other. Elytra oblong-oval in the larger specimen, elon- 

 gate in the other, base and apex of nearly equal width ; their 

 sculpture consists of shallow irregularly formed impressions 

 of very unequal size, which cannot be termed punctures 

 except near the suture, where, however, though much 

 smaller, they are not serial, and are often confluent even 

 within this limited area ; over nearly half of each elytron 



