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XLII. Descriptions of Two new Australian Lucanidse. 

 By J. O. Westwood, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., Hope Prof. 



of Zoology, (fee. 



[Read 2nd March, 1863.] 



Although I have so recently offered to the Entomological So- 

 ciety descriptions and figures of several species of Lucanidce from 

 the Antipodes, I am again able to add to my former papers two other 

 interesting insects belonging to the same family from Australia, of 

 one of which we are unfortunately only acquainted with a single 

 female specimen in the Collection of the British Museum, whilst 

 of the other our knowledge is confined to a most elaborate draw- 

 ing of a male insect kindly forwarded to this country by Dr. 

 Howitt, and as kindly placed in my hands by Major Parry, with 

 a view to my drawing up a detailed description of it for our 

 Society. 



In consequence of our ignorance of the male of the former of 

 these two insects, it is not easy to refer it with precision to the 

 subgeneric group to which it belongs, especially as the female 

 presents a combination of characters not met with in the females 

 of any of those divisions hitherto proposed. I am therefore com- 

 pelled to describe it as a species of the great group Dorcus, wait- 

 ing until the arrival of its male shall clear up its true position. 



Dorcus Howittanus. (PI. XXI. fig. 1.) 



Niger, subnitidus, tenuissirae punctatus ; capite latissimo, versus 

 angulos posticos fortius punctato, elytrorum latitudine, angu- 

 lis posticis pone oculos rotundatis ; mandibulis falcatis, eden- 

 tatis, capitis longitudine; pronoto transverse, antice vix capite 

 latiori, postice paullo angusliori ; elytris ad basin parte pos- 

 tica pronoti vix latioribus ; tibiis 2 anticis simplicibus ; 4 pos- 

 ticis in medio spina armatis. 



Long. corp. cum mand. lin. 16; mand. lin. 2| ; cap. lin. 2| ; 

 pronot. lin. 3 ; elytrorum lin. 7^. 



Lat. capitis lin, 6| ; parte postica pronoti lin. 6. 



Habitat Gipps Land, ad partem austral. -orient. Novas Hol- 

 landiae. 



In Mus. D. Howitt. 



