209 



specimen from the Blackburn collection have the prothorax 

 and elytra testaceous ; one female from the National Park has 

 the shoulders obscurely diluted with red, and the elytral 

 punctures rather larger than usual; the specimen from Mount 

 Tambourine is an unusually small male. 



PYROCHROIDAE. 



Mr. Blair having removed Lemodes from the Pyro- 

 chroidae to the AnthicidaeO-*) and stated* 15 ) that Pseudolycus 

 apicalis, Macl., belongs to the group of Oedemeridae that 

 includes Techmessa and Pseudananca, the f&milyPyrochroidae 

 now contains no described Australian species. 



MORDELLIDAE. 



Having occasion to describe some insular species of this 

 family, it appeared desirable to systematically examine all 

 the specimens in the South Australian Museum, that insti- 

 tution having numerous unnamed specimens from the Black- 

 burn collection and other sources, including an abundance 

 of material from Mr. F. P. Dodd. Several Australian 

 Museums were communicated with, and specimens were 

 received for examination from the Queensland, Australian 

 (including the type of Mordellistena brunneipennis) , Macleay 

 (including the types of seven species), and National Museums; 

 some specimens from Mr. H. J. Carter's and my own col- 

 lections were also examined. 



In working out a family or group of beetles one naturally 

 desires to make one's work as complete as possible ; but in 

 this family it is frequently desirable to leave unnamed many 

 specimens, as the species are so closely allied in structure 

 that markings must be relied upon to a quite disproportionate 

 degree in comparison with other families ; and the pat- 

 terns being very variable in extent (due to partial absence 

 in places and enlargements in others), although not, or to 

 but a slight extent, in disposition, and liable to considerable 

 alteration in appearance from a slight amount of abrasion, 

 it frequently happens that, with long series, connecting forms 

 quite clearly denote that specimens apparently quite distinct 

 from others, are but the outside forms of particular species. 

 Wide golden spots and bands become attenuated and silvery, or 

 white ; sharply-defined markings gradually encroach upon each 

 other till many of their outlines are blurred, bands and zigzag 

 markings break up into spots, some markings completely disap- 

 pear but leave others quite sharply defined; old specimens are 

 often considerably altered in appearance by grease, verdigris, 



(14) Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Feb., 1913, p. 207. 

 (i5)X.c, Miarch, 1914, p. 311. 



