185 



Melanterius cardiopterus, n. sp. 



Dark-brown, almost black; rostrum, antennae, and tarsi 

 paler. Upper-surface with minute indistinct setae, under- 

 surface with sparse but more distinct ones, the legs moderately 

 clothed. 



Eye-^ widely separated. Rostrum moderately long and 

 lightly curved; with clearly-defined punctures, becoming 

 rather coarse and linear in arrangement behind antennae ; 

 with a distinct median carina. Scape rather thin, inserted 

 two-fifths from apex of rostrum, and the length of f unicle ; 

 first joint of f unicle longer than second. Prothorax 

 moderately transverse, with fairly large, clearly-defined 

 punctures. Elytra cordate, shoulders and sides rather 

 strongly rounded, with series of large punctures, becoming 

 small posteriorly; interstices acutely ridged, except towards 

 base, but the sutural one only on posterior declivity, the 

 sutural one also with but one row of punctures ; the others 

 each with two feeble rows. Basal segment of abdomen flat 

 in middle. Femora moderately stout, strongly dentate. 

 Length, 3-3|^ mm. 



Rah. — South Australia: Tumby (Blackburn's collection).. 

 Type, I. 1358. 



In general appearance close to legitimus, but femora 

 without a granule in emargination, prothorax with larger 

 punctures, and elytra with smaller and less clearly-defined. 

 ones in the strise. In some respects it is close to parvidens, 

 but that species has smaller femoral teeth, smaller punctures 

 on metasternum and basal segment of abdomen, denser and 

 smaller prothoracic punctures, and somewhat different elytra. 

 The second and third interstices are carinated on the posterior 

 half of the elytra, but the carina on each, instead of being 

 in the middle, as in most species, is placed on the outer side; 

 this is also the case with the carinse of some of the other 

 interstices but less conspicuously so ; but several other species 

 have the outer ones similarly carinated. Compositus has the 

 second and third interstices similar, but the sutural punctures 

 are smaller and sparser, and disappear before the middle, and 

 the suture itself is carinated for a greater length ; the 

 punctures on the other interstices are much smaller and 

 sparser, and the prothoracic ones are smaller. 



A specimen from Sea Lake in Victoria (J. C. Goudie) 

 probably belongs to this species, but differs in being larger 

 and with the body parts quite black. 



Melanterius baridioides, n. sp. 

 Black, shining; antennae and tarsi reddish. Upper- 

 surface almost glabrous ; under-surface and legs sparsely^ 

 setose. 



