Genera and Species of New Zealand Culeoptera. 51 



scales; on the elytra more erect, coarser, whitish ones form 

 irregular spots ; legs and antennae pitcliy red. 



Head, exclusive of mandibles, quite transverse, the middle 

 curvedly depressed in front, distinctly punctate, nearly nude 

 behind. Thorax transversely quadrate, bisinuate at base 

 and in front, its sides somewhat explanate, particularly near 

 the front, only slightly rounded ; its sculpture is like that 

 of the head, but not so close on the disk, where, in some 

 lights, bluish spots may be seen. Ehjtra parallel-sided, 

 obtusely rounded posteriorly, slightly wider than thorax at 

 base; there are no obvious elevations; their punctuation 

 resembles that of the thorax. Anterior tibice slightly curved, 

 finely and closely denticulate or serrate externally ; the outer 

 extremity is somewhat produced, and there is a dentiform 

 projection before the middle. 



Underside shining, punctate, variegated castaneous, spar- 

 ingly clothed with pale decumbent elongate squamse or setae. 

 Prosternum obtusely angulated medially in front. Meta- 

 steriium large, grooved along the middle. Ventral segments 

 2-4 decrease a little in length. 



Male. — In a specimen of M. irroratus (No. 41.5), wliich 

 Dr. Sharp kindly identified for me in London over thirty 

 years ago, I find that the mandibles, in repose, form a circle 

 leaving a central gap large enough to admit a pin^s head ; 

 their apices are tridentate, and the uppermost tooth is 

 somewhat prominent. 



In M. curvidms the mandibles are shorter, their apices are 

 simple and pointed, the central gap is just large enough to 

 allow the point of a pin to penetrate ; on the outside of each, 

 near the middle, there is an acute horizontal protuberance, 

 and, near the extremity, a pair of comparatively large lobes 

 ari^e; these are directed slightly backwards and outwards ; 

 underneath they are broad and plane. The mandibles, in 

 fact, somewhat resemble in miniature those of the grand 

 Afi'ican dung-beetle, Heliocopris isid'is. 



Female. — The mandibles are rather longer and much further 

 apart than in the same sex of M. irroratus; they bear no 

 distinct tooth above, but appear as if cut halfway down 

 near the extremity, so that the apices seem slender and 

 simple ; the acute horizontal angulation near the base is 

 v^ell developed. The thorax of M. irroratus is much 

 narrowed towards the front, so that the middle is distinctly 

 wider; in M. curvidens this is not the case. 



The antennae, in this sex, are similar, the basal joint 

 being smooth, curvate, and about as long as the following 

 six conjointly ; the 2nd is transverse, the 3rd and 4th are 



4* 



