163 



difficult to deal with, partly by their close relationship, but 

 also on account of mechanical troubles. 



Scraptia laticollis, Champ. 



The pronotum of this species was described as having 

 "distinct basal foveae and a short median channel at the 

 base." I have taken numerous specimens in Tasmania that 

 agree with this, others in which only the median impression 

 is distinct, and still others without any distinct impression, 

 and believe the intensity of the impressions to be due to a 

 certain extent to irregular contraction in drying; on one 

 specimen this is clearly the case, as the median channel is 

 lop-sided, deep, and wide, and extends from the base almost 

 to the apex ; a specimen from Forest Reefs and another from 

 the Swan River have the prothorax strongly ridged along 

 middle and a wide excavation on each side, but I am con- 

 vinced that both the ridge and the excavations are due to 

 irregular contraction. The species also occurs on the main- 

 land from the Swan River to Sydney, those from the mainland 

 as a rule being somewhat smaller and paler than Tasmanian 

 specimens (a common variation as between Australian and 

 Tasmanian insects). 



Some specimens from Adelaide and Dalby possibly also 

 belong to the species, but have the antennae somewhat longer 

 (although the second joint is slightly shorter than the third, 

 as on the typical form) and punctures of upper-surface 

 decidedly coarser. 



Scraptia australis, Champ. 



Specimens of this species range in length from If to 

 3 mm., the average being about 2| mm. The species occurs in 

 Victoria (Dividing Range) and New South Wales (Jenolan) 

 as well as in Tasmania. 



Scraptia gymnosterna, n. sp. 



Of a rather dingy flavous ; elytra with infuscate mark- 

 ings about base, middle, and apex, or near apex. With 

 rather dense yellowish pubescence, but sterna and hind coxae 

 glabrous and highly polished. 



Head with rather crowded punctures of moderate size, 

 better defined, although not larger, on clypeus than else- 

 where. Eyes very deeply emarginate (almost divided), almost 

 touching in front in male, moderately separated in female. 

 Antennae rather long and thin, second and third joints very 

 short. Prothorax moderately convex, at base about twice as 

 wide as the median length, sides obliquely decreasing in 

 g2 



