20 



sides strongly rounded to apex ; punctures as on head. Elytra rather narrow, 

 less than the greatest width of prothorax, shoulders rounded ; with dense and 

 sharply-defined punctures. Abdomen somewhat dilated posteriorly, where the 

 greatest width is equal to that of head; punctures fairly dense and sharply 

 defined on under-surface, less sharply on the upper. Length, 3.25-3.5 mm. 



Hah. — New South Wales: Ourimbah, from rotting leaves (A. M. Lea). 



The elytra are almost parallel-sided, but are small and do not cover wings 

 (I have dissected two specimens to be sure of this) ; their apical half is paler 

 than the basal half, but the two shades of colour are not sharply limited ; on 

 each side near the base, and invisible from above, there is a slight infuscation, 

 part of the metasternum is also slightly infuscated. At first glance the speci- 

 mens look like rather narrow ones of A. indicus, but that species is winged; 

 they are narrower and less opaque than the specimens I have identified as 

 belonging to A. australicus, and the elytral punctures are much more sharply 

 defined. 



A male (from Ulverstone, Tasmania) is evidently an immature specimen 

 of the species ; it differs from the type in being smaller, very pale castaneous, 

 no parts black or infuscated, the two shades of colour on the elytra still less 

 defined, the joints of the antennae somewhat longer, the under-surface of the 

 fifth segment of abdomen with a shallow subapical depression, and the sixth 

 deeply incised. 



Astenus tardus, n. sp. 



d . Pale fiavo-castaneous ; antennae, palpi, elytra, and legs pale fllavous. 

 Clothed with very short whitish pubescence, and with long, straggling, black hairs. 



Head rather large ; with shallow, reticulate punctures. Antennae thin, 

 none of the joints transverse, but ninth and tenth very little longer than wide. 

 Prothorax scarcely as long as greatest width (near apex), which is almost equal 

 to that of head ; sides strongly but unequally rounded ; punctures much as on 

 head. Elytra slightly wider and slightly longer than prothorax ; with dense 

 and sharply-defined punctures, and with a few rows of feeble piliferous 

 granules. Abdomen rather wide ; with denser punctures than on prothorax, 

 but smaller and less sharply defined ; subapical segment with a deep, triangular 

 notch. Length, 3.75 mm. 



Hah. — Queensland: Mount Tambourine (A. M. Lea). Type (unique), 

 L 12406. 



From some directions the upper-surface of the abdomen, as well as the 

 elytra, appear to have feeble rows of granules, but they are placed transversely. 

 The species in general appearance is strikingly like Form I of .^. hrez'icoUis, 

 but it is apterous ; it is considerably wider than the preceding species, and the 

 elytra are granulate. The mandibles of the type were broken in manipulating 

 them for examination. 



Stilicopsis, Sachse, Cat., p. 220. 



TRiNOTATA, Kraatz. 0. Introduced. 



Stilicus^ Latr., Cat., p. 223. 

 ORBICULATUS, Payk. Tas. Introduced. 



Stilicus orbiculatus, Payk. 



A specimen, from Launceston. agrees perfectly with British specimens 

 of this species ; a widely distributed one, but now first recorded as Australian ; 

 five synonyms and varieties of the species are recorded in the catalogue. 



