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scales; on each interstice there is a row of stouter scales. On 

 the prothorax the scales are suberect, and but few of them 

 are sooty. On the under-surface the scales are sparse and 

 confined to the punctures. The legs are densely clothed. The 

 very large elytral punctures are open behind but somewhat 

 cavernous in front; they vary from almost quadrate to twice 

 as long as wide. The four typical specimens are probably 

 all males. 



Mechistocerus basalis, n. sp. 

 (S . Of a sooty-black, antennge and tarsi red. Rather 

 sparsely clothed, but with a conspicuous short line of pale 

 scales on each side of scutellum. 



Head with rather coarse, crowded punctures. Ocular 

 fovea long, narrow, and deep. Rostrum long and thin; basal 

 third with rows of large punctures, leaving three median 

 ridges, elsewhere shining and with minute punctures. Scape 

 inserted one-third from apex to rostrum; two basal joints of 

 funicle subequal in length, but the first stouter than the 

 second. Prothorax feebly transverse, basal two-thirds almost 

 parallel-sided, median carina short and feeble; with 

 moderately large but not crowded punctures. Elytra with 

 base trisinuate and about one-third wider than prothorax; 

 with rows of large, deep punctures, rapidly becoming smaller 

 posteriorly. Metasternvm rather short, with a deep and 

 rather wide median impression dilated posteriorly ; with very 

 large punctures or foveas ; episterna narrowly impressed 

 throughout. A hdomen with basal segment rather flat in 

 middle ; with a few large punctures, and with a row of very- 

 large subconnected ones on each side near coxae; second seg- 

 ment with a few fairly large punctures at base and across 

 middle. Legs long; hind femora strongly, middle moderately, 

 front feebly dentate, hind ones distinctly passing apex of 

 elytra. Length, 6 mm. 



9 . Differs in being larger (7^ mm.), rostrum longer 

 and thinner, basal punctures and ridges less pronounced, 

 antennae inserted not quite so close to apex of rostrum, basal 

 segment of abdomen more convex and legs somewhat shorter. 



Hah. — Queensland: Cairns district (A. M. Lea). Type, 

 I. 1462. 



The elytral punctures and clothing render this species 

 very distinct. The conspicuous lines of scales are on the third 

 interstice, and about half the length of the prothorax; on 

 the rest of the elytra the clothing is very sparse, and consists 

 of minute sooty scales and some long sooty ones, with a few 

 pale scales congested in places. On the prothorax the scales 

 are stramineous and sooty, and set in punctures. On the 

 under-surface the scales are sparse and thin. The legs are 



