188 



Specimens in good condition have each elytral interstice 

 marked by a distinct row of whitish setce on each side, the rows 

 quite evenly divided by the median ridges. On slight abrasion, 

 however, the rows become indistinct. The scales in the pro- 

 thoracic punctures do not rise to the general level. 



The elytra are usually somewhat paler than the pro- 

 thorax. The median carina of the prothorax is usually dis- 

 tinct, but more or less encroached upon by punctures. Of a 

 pair taken in coj), the male has a distinct carina, but the female 

 is without a trace of one. The difference, however, is not 

 sexual, as it is absent from some males and present on some 

 females. 



The male has the metasternum and basal segment of abdo- 

 men widely and conjointly concave; in the female the meta- 

 sternum is feebly depressed, but the basal segment of abdomen 

 is convex. The female also has a somewhat longer and thinner 

 rostrum than the male, and with smaller and sparser punc- 

 tures. Her antennae also are inserted less close to the apex. 

 The size ranges from 3J-4| mm. 



Melanterius floridus, Pasc. 



The curious spine or tooth on each of the four front tibi^ 

 of this species, as figured by Pascoe, is sexually variable, being 

 confined to the female. In the male each tibia is terminated 

 by an apical tooth of smaller size and starting from the middle 

 of the tibia, instead of from its upper apex. 



Melanterius semiporcatus, Er. 

 In my table of the species of Jlehoiferius (Proc. Linn. 

 Soc, N.S.W., 1899, p. 207) this species is placed with those 

 having the femoral emargination normal. As a matter of fact, 

 in the emargination (especially of the front pair) there is often 

 a small supplementary tooth or granule, but (when present) it 

 is always smaller than the similar one of hidentatus (a species 

 which differs in many other respects, however). The large 

 femoral teeth are usually more or less triangular, but on man}^ 

 specimens they are truncated (on the hind femora often con- 

 spicuously so). 



Melanterius compactus. Lea. 



The types of this species have the elytra but little or not 

 at all paler than the prothorax, but on a specimen from Port 

 Esperance and two from Callington and Murray Bridge '2) the 

 elytra are distinctly paler. 



The sexes differ in the four front tibiae as do the sexes of 

 floridus, except that in the females the apical spurs diverge at 

 .a greater angle. 



(2) Now first recorded from South Australia. 



