506 ON AUSTRALIAX ANTHICIDAEj 



apes much wider than base; punctures much as on head. Elytra elliptic-ovate; 

 with dense and minute punctures, and with numerous larger ones, especially 

 towards base, but all more or less obscured by clothing. Intereoxal process of 

 abdomen not very wide, gently rounded off: or almost truncate. Hind femora 

 very stout, strongly clavate, with one strong and acute tooth, and usually with 

 one or more smaller ones. Length, 2.5 — 6 mm. 



Hab. — Western Australia: Cue (H. W. Brown). 



Not very close to any other Australian species, except the following one and 

 with a gTeater range in size than any otlier member of the family known to me. 

 The teeth on the hind femora vary in number from one to four; there is a long 

 and rather thin one inwardly, near this on the outer side there is a ridge with 

 feeble undulations on some specimens, but on others the undulations are developed 

 into teeth, usually small, but generally acute. On some specimens, from certain 

 oblique directions, all four are distinct, and from an inner direction there appear 

 1, a long thin tooth, 2, a small one, 3, a longer but stiU small one, then, 4, a still 

 smaller one or feeble tubercle; of these the 4th is the first to disappear, then 

 the 2nd, and rarely the 3rd, the 1st being always present but varying in length. 

 The narrowly impressed line at the base of the prothorax is not traceable across 

 the middle from above, although distinct from the sides. The head and prothorax 

 are both subopaque and on each a feeble median line may be traced from certain 

 directions. All the specimens have the legs, antennae and palpi more or less 

 reddis'h, but the tibiae at base and the hind femora at apex are sometimes darker 

 than the adjacent parts; the head is black or blackish, but in front is obscurely 

 reddish; the prothorax varies from entirely reddish (but usually with the front 

 and front sides infuscated) to entirely blackish; the elytra are black or blackish, 

 with the suture, sides and two interrupted zig-zag fasciae reddish, the sides and 

 fascia clothed with white pubescence. From the side each elytron may be seen 

 to have the pale part rather wide at the base, and narrow at the apex; from the 

 shoulder a wide stripe projects obliquely backwards from the pale side, terminating 

 in an acute point slightly before the middle of the elytron, with its front inner 

 portion produced obliquely foi-wards, but not to the suture; at the apical third 

 another stripe or fascia projects at a right angle inwards to near the suture, 

 with a deep notch almost in line with the point of the sub-basal fascia. The 

 smallest specimen has the whole of the upper surface dark, except that parts of 

 the elytra are obscurely diluted with red, its elytral fasciae, although not distinct 

 in themselves, are fairly indicated by the white pubescence; its hind femora are 

 rather conspicuously infuscated near apex. 



FORMICOMUS TRIDENTIPES, n.sp. 



Blackish; prothorax (front infuscated), legs, antennae and palpi reddish; 

 under surface and parts of elytra obscurely reddish. Moderately clothed with 

 short and mostly dark pubescence, but becoming golden on part of prothorax, 

 and silvery on parts of elytra; in addition with numerous dark, erect hairs. 



Head and prothorax with sculpture as described in preceding species, but 

 with somewhat coarser punctures. Elytra slightly larger in proportion, and 

 with distinctly larger punctures. Intereoxal process of abdomen wide and trun- 

 cated. Hind femora strongly clavate and tridentate. Length, 5 mm. 



Hat.— South Australia: Port Lincoln (A. M. Leal. 



In general appeai-ance fairly close to some specimens of the preceding 

 species, and with the head and prothorax almost identical, except that the punc- 



