242 



although in some lights it is even pale there. In general 

 appearance like very large specimens of exilis, but the 

 antennae distinctly snorter and wider, the elytral pubescence 

 (on some specimens, but not on all) darker at the sides 

 instead of uniform throughout, and with a curious silken 

 lustre that is quite absent from that species. From baldi- 

 ensis, and all its varieties, it is distinguished by its narrower 

 form, shorter and more obtuse pygidium, paler pubescence, 

 and uniformly clothed abdomen. A few of the specimens 

 have the tips of the abdominal segments diluted with red, 

 and one has the abdomen almost entirely red. On all of 

 them there are faint ridges on the hind tibiae, although they 

 are much more numerous and much less distinct than in 

 Mordellistena, and are confined to the edge. The pygidium 

 is short and truncated, but as the scutellum does not angularly 

 cut into the elytra the species has been referred to Mordella, 

 rather than to Tomocria. 



Mordella tarsalis, n. sp. 

 PI. xv., fig. 133. 

 o • Black ; mandibles and palpi in parts, base of 

 antennae, front legs, and middle femora more or less reddish. 

 Densely clothed with uniform silken -grey pubescence. 



Rather narrower and more parallel-sided than usual. 

 Scutellum small. Pygidium not very long, somewhat obtusely 

 pointed. Front tibiae stout and fringed with long hairs; 

 front tarsi also fringed, the joints unusually large, wide, and 

 lop-sided; spurs to hind tibiae unequal. Length, 4^-5 mm. 



9 . Differs in having shorter and thinner front legs, 

 and simple tarsi. 



Hob. — Western Australia: Lake Austin (H. W. Brown). 

 Type, I. 5864. 



It may, later on, be considered advisable to refer this 

 species to a new genus on account of the remarkable front 

 tibiae and tarsi of the male; but without knowing more about 

 exotic members of the family it does not appear desirable for 

 me to do this; the basal joint of the front tarsi is almost as 

 large as an eye, almost as wide as long, and with a greater 

 portion to the outer than to the inner side, the second to 

 the fourth joints are subtriangular and regularly decrease in 

 size, the fifth is suboval. The pygidium at first glance appears 

 to be deeply and narrowly notched, so that the apex resembles 

 two narrow spikes, but this is really due to a narrow strip 

 of whitish pubescence. The scutellum on most of the speci- 

 mens before me is covered up by the basal lobe of the pro- 

 notum. The female in general appearance is very close to 

 the typical form of exilis, but differs in being slightly 



