126 



a slight interruption before same.^'*^) The dark sutural mark- 

 ing is seldom continued to the apex, and frequently terminates 

 before the middle; the epipleurae are frequently dark. The 

 scutellum varies in colour. On the prothorax the two dark 

 spots are seldom completely absent, but they vary in size; 

 there is also frequently a median spot as well, and the three 

 are sometimes conjoined; one specimen has a conspicuous 

 black M. On the head there is occasionally a medio-basal 

 spot. On the presternum the base is usually striated, and 

 the striae may or may not be continued close to the coxae, 

 but they appear never to extend to the apex, and this will 

 distinguish the species from amplicollis and alleni. The eyes 

 are smaller but more prominent than in linibafipennis, and 

 the elytra as a rule are decidedly less convex. The majority 

 of specimens in fact have a peculiarly flattened appearance. 

 The length varies from 4 to 7 mm. 



Two specimens from North-western Australia (Black- 

 burn's collection) are unusually small and convex, and with 

 the clypeus more distinctly punctured than usual ; the pro- 

 thorax is infuscated almost throughout, and the elytra with 

 suture infuscated, and the spots so faint as to be practically 

 absent. 



Hah. — North-western Australia: King Sound, Fortescue 

 Kiver; Northern Territory; Queensland: Cairns, Kuranda, 

 Charters Towers, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Mungar 

 Junction, Brisbane. 



Rhyparida dimidiata, Baly. 



Marsaens rufoflavus, Clark. 



PL vi., fig. 30; pi. vii., fig. 97; pi. viii., figs. 104 and 172. 



The typical form of 'this species is the rarest of three 



quite sharply defined ones, and I have taken them all in 



company at Tamworth (the third, and the second and third 



forms, freely mating). On the elytra of all the forms the 



punctures are of large size close to the base, but they rapidly 



become much smaller and almost disappear posteriorly. On 



the two first forms there is usually a vague bluish gloss, that 



is usually fairly distinct on the apical portion of the elytra, 



and is seldom altogether absent. The size varies from 4J to 



7| mm. 



On the typical form the prothorax, apical half of elytra 

 (the line of demarcation sharply defined), and most of the 

 under-surface and legs are black or blackish. 



(46) On many specimens there appears to be a bifurcated 

 humeral stripe, with the outer arm extending to beyond the 

 middle, and the inner one abbreviated at the base, but with the 

 stripe on the fourth interstice representing where it would be if 

 continued. 



