220 



towards apex ; tibiie (excepting lower side) and upper' side of 

 tarsi thickly-set with whitish scales ; legs and ventral segments 

 setigerous, the setse black, very closely placed, but not forming a 

 " vitta," in middle of ventral segments. 



Rostrum short, thick (as thick in front as the head), scarcely 

 emarginate and witllout a triangular lamina at apex, almost 

 flat, only excavate towards apex, lightly tri-impressed at base, 

 with a short linear median impression and a wide shallow one on 

 each side ; external ridges short, not elevated, continuous with 

 front , sides of rostrum roundly convex below antennw ; gular 

 emargination without a median projection. Head thick, convex, 

 whole upper-surface and external ridges of rostrum rather thickly 

 setigerous ; occiput thickly-set with pilose scales. Prothorax 

 transverse (31- x 4| mm.), not dilatate on sides, widest rather 

 before the middle, very little narrowed in front, decidedly and 

 rather roundly narrowed behind, wider across apex tlian across 

 base ; disc transversely suboonvex, not longitudinally convex ; 

 anterior margin strongly sinuate, middle rounded, but not pro- 

 jecting above head ; ocular lobes very prominent ; base truncate ; 

 granules strong, thickly set, unisetigerous, obsolete on sides near 

 cox;e. Elytra oval (9^ x 5J mm ), wider than prothorax, widest 

 about middle, evenly rounded on sides, narrowed to base, 

 declivous behind; disc depressed, convex towards sides, hardly so 

 longitudinally ; base very lightly emarginate ; shoulders marked 

 by a strong but not very prominent tubercle; apex evenly 

 rounded, without sinuosity or projections near suture ; striie 

 formed of close shallow fovere ; interstices narrow, not elevated, 

 closely-set with small setigerous granules. Apical-ventral segment 

 not as long as two preceding ones together, not excavate. Anterior 

 femora cylindrical, very little thickened before the middle ; lower 

 side without a ridge. 



Length, 15; breadth, 5i mm. 



Habitat. — Barrow Range. 



I know of no species allied to tliis ; its very short thick 

 rostrum, hardly the least excavate and with weak scrobes, 

 separates it from all the species of Taiaurinus known to me. The 

 late Sir William Macleay would probalaly have placed it in his 

 "granulate" group. 



Female. — Oblong, robust; head and 



Taiaurinus obseurus, «. -^y. 



rostrum large, setigero- 

 punctate ; prothorax subcylindrical, coarsely granulate ; elytra 

 substriate, the interstices roughly granulate, the granulations 

 setigerous, a few fine setae in the stri:e. Black, shining ; fore- 

 head with a light vitta of griseous scales down the middle, bifur- 

 cating and the scales becoming winter on the rostrum. Specimen 



