198 



the base) ; its antennae are like those of H. vagans. Speci- 

 mens from Queensland (H. Erichsoni, ~Blajckb.=pu-bescens, 

 Macl.) are extremely close to vagans, but with the prothorax 

 very evidently less narrowed in front and the 3rd joint of th©- 

 antennse very much shorter. A badly-mutilated example from 

 North- West Australia is near those from Queensland, but with 

 the middle lobe of the trilobed outline of the head remarkably 

 minute, the prothorax evidently more transverse, and pro- 

 bably other distinctions in the numerous parts of the body 

 that are wanting. Finally, a specimen taken by the Horn 

 Expedition in Central Australia has the prothorax of vagans, 

 but with dorsal sculpture notably less rugulose, and the 3rd 

 antennal joint distinctly shorter. In the original description 

 of H. vagans the middle lobe of the trilobed outline of the 

 head was called "about a quarter" of a lateral lobe; this 

 somewhat unduly minimized it, and "a third" would be more 

 accurate. 



H . badius, Macl. I have found it necessary to tabulate 

 the distinctive character of this species as consisting in the 

 punctures of its elytra being more numerous than in the other 

 species of the aggregate CC in A A, B, but not sufficiently 

 numerous to associate it with those of C in AA, B. The 

 fact is, the aggregates C and CC (badius being disregarded) 

 are so particularly satisfactory that it would be undesirable 

 to give them up for the sake of one species. Moreover, 

 badius does not really confuse the tabulation, for, although 

 its elytra are punctured much more closely than those of the 

 other species of CC, it is not at all likely to be supposed a 

 member of C, inasmuch as 20 punctures from the suture 

 reach quite clearly beyond the middle of an elytron, across 

 the whole elytron there being just about 30 punctures. In 

 general appearance it is distinctly suggestive of the species 

 described below as H. Macleayi, from which, however, it 

 differs by several characters besides the puncturation, especi- 

 ally by its prothorax being considerably narrower in front, 

 with front angles notably less produced. 



H. subglaber, Macl. The type of this species is from 

 North-West Australia. There are before me specimens from 

 various localities in Northern Australia (scarcely any of them 

 in really good condition) which I do not feel justified in de- 

 scribing as distinct species, but among which I have little 

 doubt there are in reality several species closely allied to sub- 

 glaber. They all agree with subglaber, and differ from H. 

 nigrinus and convexicollis in the well-defined hind angles of 

 their prothorax, which from certain points of view might 

 almost be called "sharply rectangular." In the description of 

 subglaber mention is made of a fovea on each side of the pro- 



