] 898.] PHYTOPHAGOUS COIEOPTEEA. OF AFRICA. 235 



than the thorax, with a deep transverse depression below the base, 

 the shoulders prominent, the sides finely transversely rugose and 

 pubescent ; underside more or less cupreous, finely pubescent ; legs 

 and tarsi dark fulvous ; prosternum very broad, finely punctured. 



Hah. Wernen, Natal [g. Marshall). 



This is another species with pubescent upper surface, although 

 the hairs in the specimens before me are only visible at the sides, 

 where they are, however, very distinct. The specimens sent by 

 Mr. Marshall seem all to belong to the female sex. C. houvouloiri 

 Lefev. is of a violaceous tint, has nearly black tarsi or legs, pos- 

 teriorly dilated elytra, and longitudinal strigse at the sides of the 

 latter ( $ ?). C. thoracicum Lefev. has no elytral basal depi-ession 

 and is of different coloration. C. viUosum Lefev. is much larger 

 and of quite different coloration, the pubescence is shorter and 

 denser, and the elytra have a cupreous margin. C. vestita Thoms. 

 is described as having a thorax nearly as long as broad, and probably 

 belongs to another genus. C. melancholicum Jac. belongs also to 

 the pubescent group, but has elytral smooth spaces or costse. 

 Lastly C. puhescens Lefc-A'. is quite differently shaped, with very 

 fine punctures and pubescence covering the entire upper surface. 



Mecistes indigaceus, sp. nov. 



Subcylindrical, convex, dark bluish, the basal joints of the 

 antennae fulvous ; thorax closely and distinctly punctured, clothed 

 with very short pubescence ; elytra subgeminate punctate, the 

 interstices forming smooth narrow spaces, with short pubescence. 



Length 4 mUUm. 



Head extremely closely punctured, nearly subrugose, the clypeus 

 not separated from the face, the sides constricted and forming 

 acute ridges ; antennae very short, the basal two and the terminal 

 five joints black, the others fulvous, the third johit rather longer 

 than the preceding and the following two joints, the terminal ones 

 nearly as broad as long, strongly thickened ; thorax subcylindrical, 

 about one-half broader than long, the sides strongly deflexed, the 

 lateral margins nearly straight, the surface very closely impressed 

 with rather large, round punctui-es, each puncture furnished with 

 a very short white hair ; scutellum broad, its apex produced iato a 

 lobe at the middle ; elytra much broader at the base than the 

 thorax, strongly punctured in irregular double rows, the interstices 

 raised into smooth, longitudinal, narrow spaces, more or less 

 distinct and furnished with very short white hairs, arranged in 

 rows, at the sides ; a costa, not strongly marked, extends from the 

 shoulders to the apex ; legs and the underside coloured as the 

 upper surface, but the breast and abdomen with a more or less 

 distinct metallic purplish or cupreous tint ; the femora very strongly, 

 the underside less strongly punctured ; the prosternum very broad, 

 longitudinally sulcate at the sides, the anterior margin of the 

 thoracic episternum strongly convex. 



Hah. Ulundi, Natal, obtained by sweeping {G. Marshall). 



Two species are contained at present in this genus, both from 



