BY A. JI. LEA. ' 507 



tures are slightly coarser, but the elytra have the reddish markings very obscure 

 and the white pubescence clothing them differently directed, especially the sub- 

 apical one, which, at its inception, instead of being directed at a right angle to 

 the side, is directed obliquely foi-wards, so that if continued it would meet its 

 fellow at the' suture slightly before the middle; the sub-basal marking is curved, 

 and on the right side is like van irregular J, the apex of the suture is also clothed 

 with silvery pubescence; the intercoxal process of the abdomen is fully twice as 

 wide and is truncated, it is decidedly wider than the apical segment is long 

 (on the preceding species it is decidedly narrower than that seg-ment is long) and 

 the second joint of the hind tarsi is fully as long as the claw joint, instead of 

 (as on that species) much shorter. The hind femora are tridentate, each having 

 two acute teeth side by side (the inner longer and thinner than the outer), and 

 a Small acute one behind the inner one. The type is in perfect condition; when 

 examining its upper surface I thought it was possibly a variety of the preceding 

 species, but the differences in the abdomen and tarsi are conclusive; the margins 

 and suture of its elytra are very narrowly and obscurely reddish, and there are 

 two obscurely reddish spots on each elytron : an angular one on each shoulder, 

 and an irregular postmedian one. 



FORJIICOMUS OBTUSIDENS^ n.sp. 



c?. Shining black; elytra, -s^ith a tiavous fascia not quite touching sides or 

 suture at basal fourth, base of antennae, coxae, base of femora and tarsi more 

 or less obscurely reddish. With spai-se, ashen pubescence, and with a few erect 

 hairs. 



Head rather small, hind angles completely rounded off to the narrow neck; 

 with fairly dense and Sharply defined punctures in front, becoming much sparser 

 and smaller posteriorly. Eyes large- prominent and medio-lateral, slightly longer 

 than basal joint of antennae. Antennae with eighth to tenth joints wide and 

 triangularly dilated to apex. Prothorax much longer than wide, subglobular in 

 front, strongly constricted near base ; with fairly numerous punctures on disc, 

 and with a feeble median line. Elytra subovate, dilated from shoulders (which 

 are not completely rounded off) to beyond the middle, transversely depressed 

 beneath sub-basal fovea, and with sparse and small, but fairly distinct punctures. 

 Abdomen with intercoxal process moderately wide and feebly rounded, apical 

 segment with a round median fovea, each side of apex deeply notched so as to 

 expose portion of the genitalia. Femora stout and strongly elavate, front pair 

 near base each with a long tooth dilated to and notched at apex, front tibiae 

 thickened and dentate near middle. Length, 3.5 — 4 mm. 



S. Differs in having thinner and shorter antennae, and simple abdomen and 

 front femora and tibiae. 



iJab.— Northern Territory: Melville Island (W. D. Dodd). 



The intercoxal process of the abdomen is less conspicuously truncated than 

 is usual in Formicomus, and wings are present, in consequence of which the 

 shoulders are less rounded off than is usual; but as the femora are strongly 

 elavate and the species is certainly congeneric with F. agilis, which is also winged, 

 it was referred to Formicomus. From F. agilis, to which at first glance it appears 

 to belong, it differs in the prothorax having a very feeble median line instead of 

 a deep gToove, and the tooth of the front femora of the male longer and of 

 different shape. The head, behind the eyes, is almost semicircular in outline; on 

 most of the specimens from the island it is deep black, but on several it is dark 

 reddish-brown; on. such specimens the antennae and legs are also somewhat paler. 



