416 



Chalcomela tricolor, Lea. 



Several specimens from Cairns differ from the type in 

 being considerably smaller (down to 5* mm.); one has the 

 upper-surface entirely black, except for a slight greenish 

 gloss, another has it purplish-black, also with a greenish gloss, 

 and another has elytra black with a vague purplish gloss, but 

 the prothorax of a beautiful bright-purple. The prothoracic 

 punctures (except on the sides, where there are always some 

 large ones) are usually dense and small, but still distinct, but 

 on some specimens they are so small as almost to reach the 

 vanishing point. 



Chalcomela fulvipes, Jac. 



Two specimens from Brisbane probably belong to this 

 species, but Jacoby described the elytra as "strongly and 

 regularly punctate-striate," and again as "very regularly 

 punctate-striate, the punctures closely placed, nearly obso- 

 lete at the apex." The specimens in the Museum are very 

 regularly seriate- (not striate- ( 32) ) punctate, but the punc- 

 tures are (for the group) • rather small, although distinct. 

 He described the terminal joint of the palpi as being "nearly 

 as long as the preceding one," whereas on these specimens 

 it is distinctly shorter and narrower. He also described the 

 clypeus as "not separated from the face"; the specimens in 

 the Museum have the clypeal suture marked by a thin 

 coloured line, but not by a deep groove, as in many species 

 of the group. 



Chalcomela simulans, n. sp. 



Black, in certain lights with a vague purplish or greenish 

 gloss; antennae, palpi, and legs (femora excepted) flavous. 



Head with sparse and minute punctures, median line 

 feeble; clypeus with rather dense punctures, suture distinct 

 and somewhat curved, a narrow depression connecting each 

 end of same with the middle of an eye. Antennae rather 

 thin, none of the joints transverse. Protlmra.r about thrice 

 as wide as median length, sides feebly diminishing in width 

 to apical fourth, and then more strongly to apex ; with 

 numerous sharply-defined, but rather small, irregularly-dis- 

 tributed punctures, somewhat larger at extreme base than 

 elsewhere. Elytra very little longer than wide, shoulders 

 strongly rounded, and sides feebly dilated beyond same ; with 

 regular rows of not very large but sharply-defined punctures, 

 becoming much smaller posteriorly ; interstices almost or quite 

 impunctate. Inter-coxal process of prostemum scarcely 



(32) Many describers have used the word "striate" when true 

 striae are absent from th<> elytra and the word "'seriate" should 

 have been used. 



