197 



smaller and narrower, legs shorter, and clothing somewhat 

 different. Its abdominal clothing is very different to that of 

 (lUpar, and there are many other differences. In its compara- 

 tively short metasternum it agrees wdth coinponfiis, but the 

 shoulders are wider, abdominal clothing much sparser, punc- 

 tures different, etc. On the elytra the scales are mostly fawn- 

 coloured or of a dingy-brown, largely mottled with irregular 

 sooty patches, and with sparser, pale, irregular spots. Each 

 interstice has a feeble row of stout suberect scales (usually 

 arising from a feeble granule), and each seriate puncture has 

 a similar scale. On the prothorax the scales are nearly all 

 moderately long, mostly sooty, but with fawn-coloured ones 

 scattered about, and forming three feeble lines. On the under- 

 surface the clothing is pale and sparser and thinner than else- 

 where. On the legs the clothing is of a somewhat brick-red 

 colour and very dense. 



Five specimens from New South Wales (Dorrigo, Illa- 

 warra, and Otford) are extremely close in general appearance, 

 but differ in having the prothorax more densely clothed, and 

 with less evident punctures ; the under-surface with stouter 

 scales, frequently sooty, and the rostrum long and thinner, 

 with the scape inserted not quite so close to apex. They appear 

 to be all females, and probably represent a new species, but 

 I am averse to naming them without knowing the male. 



Mechistocerus cylindeicus, n. sp. 



Red. Densely clothed. 



Head with coarse concealed punctures. Rostrum (for 

 the genus) rather short; basal third with coarse concealed 

 punctures and throe feeble ridges, elsewhere shining and with 

 small, clearly-defined punctures. Scape inserted two-fifths 

 from apex to rostrum ; second joint of funicle longer and 

 thinner than first. Profliora.x rather strongly transverse, 

 sides strongly rounded, apex about two-thirds the width of 

 base; median carina feeble; with crowded, partially-concealed 

 punctures. Elytra narrow and cylindrical, not much wader 

 than widest part of prothorax; with rows of large, almost 

 concealed punctures. Unde?'--surface with, dense more or less 

 concealed punctures, including on the metasternal episterna. 

 Metasternum as long as the following segment, rather lightly 

 impressed along middle. Abdomen with first segment some- 

 what flattened in middle, not much longer than second, second 

 slightly longer than third and fourth combined, each of these 

 almost as long as fifth. Legs comparatively short; femora 

 rather strongly dentate, hind ones just extending to apical 

 segment. Length, 6 mm. 



