818 AUSTRALIAN COLEOPTERA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES,. 



apparently not separable from the New Zealand insect. Dr. 

 Sharp does not say that he has examined Hope's type, but I have 

 little doubt he has done so, as the description would hardly 

 suggest the idea of identity with H. Zealandicus. I have seen 

 several collections from the Northern Territory containing 

 Palpicornes, in none of which were there any examples of the 

 common Southern Australian species, although I have seen a 

 species from that locality very different from it which appeared lo 

 rae not unlikely to be 5! assimilis. Assuming Dr. Sharp to be 

 right in his identification (as I have no doubt he is) I offer the 

 following description of H. assimilis, Hope, as likely to be 

 interesting to Australian students, who certainly are not likely to 

 identify the insect on Hope's description. 



H. ASSIMILIS, Hope. 



Nitidus ; minus elongatus ; piceo-niger ; antennls palpis pedi- 

 busque ruf escentibus ; abdomine rufo-maculato; crebre subtilius 

 punctulatus et punctis majoribus seriatim instructus ; elytrorum 

 interstitiis planis ; subtus crebre breviter pubescens. 



[Long. 4^ to 5 lines, lat. 2^ to 2? lines. 



The fine evenly-distributed puncturation of the upper surface is 

 decidedly finer than in the European H. fuscipus, Linn. ; a row 

 of larger punctures runs across the labrum, another (arched and 

 interrupted in the middle) across the clypeus, and a third curves 

 round the inner margin and front of each eye. On either 

 side of the prothorax two similar lines run from the margin 

 inwards, — one in front of, the other behind, the middle. On the 

 elytra a sutural stria commences faintly about the middle and 

 runs back deepening to the apex : outside this there are nine rows 

 of punctures similar to those of the thoracic series which are 

 obsolete in front (especially those near the suture), but become 

 strongly defined behind ; between the 1st and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 

 5th and 6th, 7th and Sth of these, and outside the 9th, there is in 

 each case an irregular row of still larger punctures. The red 

 marks on the hind body are not at all conspicuous and consist of 



