35 



has its tip and basal two-fifths almost black, the balance 

 being of a rather bright-red (as also are the antennae) ; in 

 the female the paler portions are of an obscure reddish- 

 brown, with the antennae almost the same. On the elytra 

 there is generally a transverse glabrous patch about the 

 middle, extending across three interstices on each, but usually 

 interrupted at suture ; on some specimens the patch is quite 

 sharply limited, but on others it is less distinct. On th<? 

 male rather more than half of the rostrum is clothed ; on 

 the female the clothing is confined to the basal third. 



Apion microscopicum, n. sp. 



Flavous, parts of under surface and tip of rostrum some- 

 what darker, claws black. Moderately densely clothed with 

 white pubescence, denser on sides of meso- and meta-sternum 

 than elsewhere. 



Head with concealed punctures. Rostrum lightly curved, 

 about the length of prothorax in male, slightly longer in 

 female ; with small and fairly numerous punctures. Antennae 

 inserted at about basal third of rostrum. Prothorax moder- 

 ately transverse, sides lightly increasing in width from apex 

 to near base ; with fairly numerous but more or less con- 

 cealed punctures ; with a small and frequently-concealed sub- 

 basal fovea. Elytra about twice as long as wide ; strongly 

 striate-punctate ; interstices slightly wider than striae. Length, 

 1-1J mm. 



Hah. — Tasmania: Hobart, Huon River, Frankford, 

 Mount Wellington, Swansea, Mole Creek (A. M. Lea); Vic- 

 toria: Emerald (H. H. D. Griffith). 



The smallest species yet recorded from Australia; there 

 is, however, a still smaller species (represented by a single 

 abraded specimen) from North-Western Australia in the 

 Macleay Museum. 



The legs are generally paler than the other parts. 



Apion tasmanicum, n. sp. 



Of a rather bright-reddish-brown, legs somewhat paler; 

 base and tip of rostrum, scutellum, suture, sterna, claws, and 

 club black ; tarsal joints mostly tipped with dark-brown, 

 knees sometimes lightly infuscated. Moderately densely 

 clothed with white or whitish pubescence, paler on under 

 than upper surface, and denser on sides of meso- and meta- 

 sternum than elsewhere. 



Head with dense but normally - concealed punctures. 

 Rostrum moderately curved, rather thin (thinner in female 

 than in male), about once and one-fourth the length of pro- 

 thorax in male, once and one-third in female ; with small 



