183 



mostly wider than jjunctures, the lateral ones, commencing 

 with the fifth, more or less distinctly ridged along middle. 

 Basal segment of ahdoinoi with intercoxal process concave. 

 Femora stout, strongly dentate. Length, 4-5 mm. 

 ' 9 ■ Differs in the rostrum having smaller and sparser 



punctures, with antennse inserted not quite so close to apex; 

 intercoxal process of abdomen lightly convex ; and four front 

 tibiae with spur commencing at summit of apical slope, instead 

 of at apex itself (as in the male). 



Hah. — South Australia: Quorn (Blackburn's collection);. 

 Port Lincoln (A. M. Lea). Type, I. 1355. 



In appearance rather close to Diethusa hlackhurni, and 

 the curious apex of the four front tibiae of the female much 

 the same, but the under-surface without the curious median 

 line of clothing. Abraded specimens somewhat resemble 

 similar ones of M. fioridus, and the female tibiae are much 

 as figured for those of that species, (^^ but that species has the 

 third interstice carinated. In the present species the fifth 

 is the first to be ridged along middle, and its ridge can only 

 be traced where the surface has been abraded. Although the 

 clothing is somewhat variegated, it is not distinctly spotted. 

 The species might be referred with almost equal propriety to 

 Dietli.usa or to Mdanter'iiis. 



Melanterius bicalcaratus, n. sp. 



d' . Dark reddish-brown, in places almost black; antennae 

 and tarsi paler. Rather sparsely clothed with small pale 

 setae; under-surface and legs with more numerous, stouter, 

 and paler setae. 



Eye^i widely separated. Rostrum long and thin, slightly 

 dilated in front of antennae; with clearly defined but not 

 large punctures, becoming sublinear in arrangement behind 

 antennae, and not concealed at base. Scape thin, inserted 

 one-third from apex of rostrum and the length of funicle ; 

 two basal joints of funicle subequal in length. Froth orax 

 moderately transverse ; punctures dense, moderately large, 

 and clearly defined. Elytra oblong-cordate : with rows of 

 rather large, oblong punctures, becoming small posteriorly; 

 interstices wider than seriate punctures, the first three ridged 

 posteriorly, but not on basal half, the others with the ridges 

 gradually extended until they are almost continuous through- - 

 out, with fairly numerous punctures becoming seriate in 

 arrangement on most of them. Basal segment of abdomen 

 flattened in middle, i^pwor^ stout, moderately dentate ; hind 

 tibiae widely notched near apex, the notch supplied with long 

 setae, four front ones bicalcarate at apex. Length, 6-6^ mm. 



(i>Aiin. tl' Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xvi. (4 ser.), pi. i., fig. 19. 



