211 



The wide distribution of most of the species renders it 

 ■desirable not to describe as new specimens from widely- 

 separated localities if it is at all possible to connect them 

 provisionally with previously-named species, but to put aside 

 such specimens till the acquisition of more material either 

 puts their distinctness beyond question, or allows the con- 

 necting forms to be noted. 



In the male the palpi have the apical joint considerably 

 larger than in the female, the antennae are usually slightly 

 stouter, the front tibiae are usually longer, strongly curved 

 or falcate, the front (and frequently the middle) tarsi more 

 dilated, and the pygidium slightly more acute ; but the 

 sexual differences appear to be seldom of use to distinguish 

 closely-allied species. 



But three genera have been recorded from Australia, all 

 of wide distribution ; probably in the hands of a revisionist, 

 having a world-wide collection available, some of our species 

 would be referred to other genera, but at present it appears 

 desirable to refer all the new ones here described to the three 

 genera in question, which may be thus recognized : — 



Pygidium short or moderately short, its tip trun- 

 cate; scutellum wide, angularly cutting into 



each elytron at base Tomoxia 



Hind tibiae with from two to five oblique ridges... Mordellistena 

 Pygidium long or moderately long, scutellum not 

 angularly cutting into elytra, hind tibiae 

 without oblique ridges Mordella 



Subsequent to Masters' Catalogue Australian species of the 

 family have beertfdescribed, or commented upon, as follows: — 

 Macleay : Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1887, pp. 317-320. 

 Olliff: Mem. Aust. Mus., ii., 1889, p. 90. 

 Blackburn: Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Austr., 1891, p. 341; 



1892, p, 46; 1893, pp. 136-138. 

 Champion: Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1895, pp. 266-272; 



1896, pp. 448, 449. 

 Lea: Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, 1895, pp. 285-304; 



1896, p. 295; 1904, pp. 95, 96; Trans. Ent. Soc. 



Lond., 1902, pp. 1-9; Proc. Roy. Soc. Vic, 1907, 



p. 168; 1913, p. 224. 



With regard to the patterns given on the plates it is 

 to be noted that these are drawn as if the suture was slightly 

 curved ; this was in consequence of the desirability of show- 

 ing the humeral markings more clearly than if drawn directly 

 from above ; the point of view was obliquely from the side, 

 so that the slight scutellar notch of many species apparently 

 disappears. The patterns also are drawn as if the markings 

 were solid and sharply defined ; this they usually are, but 



