Species of New- Zealand Coleoptera. 421 



underneath ; basal three joints of anterior tarsi rather broadly 

 expanded. There are two setre on both sides of the thorax, 

 but only one at each side of the terminal ventral segment. 



P. thoracicus (1148) may be at once separated by its more 

 finely punctured and sharply impressed elytral strife, less 

 transverse thorax, with the duplicate basal and smaller 

 foveai distinctly marked off from the larger ones, and by the 

 more sinuate and narrower elytral apices. P.placidns (1150) 

 is distinguished by its more prominent thoracic angles ; its 

 basal fossae are similar, but the punctuation of the elytral 

 strise is finer and the apical portion of the hind body is 

 narrower; the scutellum is longitudinally scored to its apex. 

 The third interstice is only indistinctly bent forwards and 

 elevated near the apex, so that the oblique cariuiform eleva- 

 tion seen in the two species cited is less couspicuous in 

 P. chahneri, in which, moreover, the head is not constricted 

 behind the eyes. 



(^ . Length 6 ; breadth 2-| lines. 



Dunedin. One, sent by Mr. T. Chalmers, formerly au 

 assiduous collector of Coleoptera in Otago. 



Group BembidiidaB. 

 Taehys coriaceus, sp. n. 



Shining, slightly convex, rufo-testaceous ; the greater 

 portion of elytra (except the suture and apex) infuscate ; legs 

 testaceous ; tarsi, palpi, and antennas pale yellow. 



Head narrowed anteriorly ; frontal impressions elongate, 

 extending from back of eyes to apex, they are deep and broad 

 and finely transversely sculptured ; a fine lateral carina 

 proceeds from the back part to each antenna. IHi/es very 

 small. The antennce reach backwards to the base of thorax 

 and bear slender grey seta ; basal two articulations stout, 

 cylindric, and of nearly equal length ; joints 3-8 longer than 

 broad, subovate, but a little narrowed towards the base, tenth 

 evidently shorter, eleventh as long as but rather stouter than 

 third, with three apical seta?, the central one distinct. Thorax 

 transverse, with well-defined lateral margins, base and apex 

 subtruncate, its sides rounded, more strongly in front than 

 behind, tiie margins minutely thickened behind, but without 

 forming distinct angles there ; basal foveee small, dorsal 

 groove abbreviated ; it has a few minute setigerous punctures, 

 one seta at each side, before the middle, is most conspicuous. 

 Elytra oval, of about equal width at base and apex, distinctly 

 margined, estriate, with a few minute indistinct punctures. 



