268 



Pelecotomoides nuda, Gerst. 

 Two specimens from the Swan River (the type was from 

 New Holland) probably belong to this species, but they differ 

 from the description in having the elytra, femora, and tibiae 

 black; their size (9-10 mm.) is almost equal to that of the 

 type (5 German lines). The following combination of char- 

 acters distinguishes them from the specimens of all other 

 species before me : — More parallel-sided than usual, clothing 

 of upper-surface unusually short and sparse (certainly not 

 due to abrasion and quite justifying the specific name), head 

 with a median line from vertex to a shallow depression in 

 front of eyes, these rather widely separated, antennae with 

 third joint distinctly longer than first, sixth-eleventh con- 

 spicuously reddish, the sixth-tenth distinctly shorter than the 

 fourth or fifth, and about the same width at apex ; pronotum 

 with medio-basal lobe widely rounded, a shallow depression 

 before it, hind angles not embracing shoulders ; elytra densely 

 granulate ("alutaceis" of Gerstacker) and each with four 

 feeble longitudinal elevations. 



Pelecotomoides nigrolateralis, n. sp. 



Piceous-brown, appendages paler. Densely clothed with 

 short pubescence, pale on upper-surface, except for a wide 

 black patch on each side of elytra ; under-surf ace and legs 

 with ashen pubescence, but variegated with dark spots at 

 sides of sterna and of abdomen. 



Antennae with third joint about once and one-half the 

 length of fourth, fifth-tenth moderately serrated, fifth slightly 

 wider than fourth, and conspicuously wider than third. 

 Prothorax with sides strongly rounded and converging to 

 apex, which is not half the width of base ; without discal 

 depressions. Elytra closely applied to prothorax, and regu- 

 larly diminishing in width to apex, where each is separately 

 rounded. Length, 7-9| mm. 



Hab. — Queensland (National Museum, from C. French), 

 Cairns district (E. Allen, F. P. Dodd, and H. Hacker). 



An abundant and strikingly-distinct species, with elytral 

 markings very different to those of any previously-described 

 ones, but with the general outlines of marmoratus y rnastersi, 

 and several other species named by Macleay. A pair from Mr. 

 Hacker (his No. 67) are marked as having been taken in cop., 

 but I can find no sexual distinctions. The colour of the derm 

 varies somewhat, as on some specimens most of the upper- 

 surface is very dark (almost black), whilst on others it is no 

 darker than the under-surface ; usually the abdomen is 

 slightly paler than the sterna, the five basal joints of antennae 

 are paler than the following ones. The pale pubescence on 



