274 



the description, and was apparently averlobked by both entom- 

 ologists named ; but it shows an insect having sides of prothorax 

 quite straight and narrowing to apex, agreeing with the 

 description '"bords lateraux tout a fait droits, convergents en 

 avant" ; moreover, the sides were specially mentioned in com- 

 parison with those of Dermorhytis. Lefevre (Cat., p. 23) also 

 described the sides as ''rectis, versus apicem attenuatis" ; 

 whereas the sides of micans (there are ten named specimens 

 from the Blackburn collection in the Museum, and from the 

 original locality, Northern Territory) are quite strongly 

 rounded. 



T . porosiis was described as from Cooktown, and as having 

 the prothorax ''longitudinally obsoletely sulcate from base to 

 apex." There are before me, from the Endeavour River 

 (Cooktown is at the mouth of that river), three specimens that 

 agree well with Jacoby's description, and these differ from 

 micans in having the sides of the prothorax obliquely converg- 

 ing from base to apex (practically straight except at the 

 extreme ends), and with a conspicuous median channel from 

 base to apex (on micans there is occasionally a feeble longi- 

 tudinal impression about the apex, but it is usually altogeth^ 

 absent), and there are numerous other distinctions in the 

 colour, clothing, punctures, etc. 



I am even doubtful as to porosus being a synonym of 

 foveolatus; the latter was described as having elytra with 

 ''foveoles assez larges et profondes" ; and figured as having 

 rows of very large punctures or seriate foveae. Lefevre 

 described the elytra as "longitudinaliter foveolata." Whereas 

 the elytra of porosus are not foveate, but punctate, and the 

 punctures are very irregular in distribution. 



Alittus micans, Blackb. (formerly TeriUus). 

 PL vii., fig. 88. 

 This species is not a synonym of foveolatus or porosus. 

 See preceding note. 



Allitus scutellaris, n. sp. 



d" . Rather pale castaneous or testaceous, in places with 

 a brassy, or brassy-green, or purplish gloss; suture infuscated. 

 Clothed with rather dense, short, silken pubescence, sparser 

 and shorter on elytra than elsewhere, except that the scutellum 

 is glabrous. 



Head with crowded punctures of small or moderate size ; 

 with a fairly distinct median impression. Second joint of 

 antennae much shorter than third. Prothorax with sides 

 moderately and evenly rounded, but base distinctly wider than 

 apex : with dense punctures of moderate size, but leaving 



