Lea — On Australian Colkopteka 91 



species. The species occurs in Xew Soulli Wales, X'ictoria. Tasmania, and Soutli 

 Australia. 



BETHELIUM RUIDUM Pasc. 



Jy. piiiiclirollc I'asc. 

 This sjiecies \aries in lentjth frcini 4-3 to i) mm., and the ])rotliorax from a 

 dull red t(j <lark hrown. It occurs in South .\ustralia I Port Lincoln and Lucin- 

 dale). as well as in Western .\ustralia f Warren River, (ieraldton. and X'ilgarn). 

 It was referretl to Ilctosticta. but I am con\inced that the description \vas founded 

 U])on a large female of the same --jiecies. that was later described from a small 

 male, under the name of licthcUnm Puiictitollc. 



BETHELIUM ORNATUM Blackb. 



The prothoracic punctures and the general sculpture of £>'. oniatum and its 

 \avieties are much as on B. niidiiiii: liut the latter species has strong punctures 

 on the apical portion of the elytra. 



var. METALLICUM var. nov. 



Some specimens from Sydney ill. J. Carter), ( iosford (j. j. Walker), and 

 lilue Mountains (Ci. Masters), are structural!}' too close to B. oniotiiiii to he 

 regarded as belonging to a distinct species; hut they dilier considerably in colour: 

 the portion of the elytra, except the shoulders, in front of the abbreviated white 

 antemedian fascia, is entii'ely metallic-imrjile ; on nine specimens of the typical 

 form the white postmedian fascia is shar])ly limited, Ijut on five of the six speci- 

 mens of the \ariety it is less sharplv limited, with the part behind it less dark than 

 on the ty])ical form : the prolhorax also is more conspicuously metallic-blue. 



var. RUFICOLLE var. nov. 



Sixteen specimens from Lucindale ( li. .\. Feuerheerdt ) are also too close to 

 B. ornatiini to be regarded as distinct, but they differ in having the protliorax 

 entirely red. 



BETHELIUM TILLIDES Pasc. 



The general col(jur (jf this s|)ccies is usually black or Ijlackish. but occasion- 

 allv the protliorax is of a dull reddish-castaneous ; the first eh'tral fascia was 

 descril)ed by 1 'ascoe a> "widely interrupted at the suture." this it occasionallv 

 is. l)ut on most sjjcciniens as the fascia approaches the suture on each elytron it 

 is abruptly narrowed and deflected obliquely backwards, the liind part sometimes 

 being (juite isolated from the front part, more or less rounded, and almost 

 touching the suture. 



