250 



but at the apex the scales could not be regarded as forming 

 fascicles. On the elytra they feebly crown the tubercles. 

 On the upper-surface there are irregular patches of small 

 sooty scales, having the appearance at the edges of the patches 

 of being overlaid by the muddy-brown ones. 



Paleticus inflatus, n. sp. 



(S . Black; antennse and tarsi more or less reddish. 



Head with concealed punctures. Ocular fovea rather 

 small. Rostrum about the length of prothorax, not very thin,, 

 almost parallel-sided ; basal three-fifths with coarse concealed 

 punctures, elsewhere shining and with rather small clearly- 

 defined ones. Scape inserted two-fifths from apex of rostrum, 

 the length of five following joints combined ; second joint of: 

 funicle longer than first. Froth or ax moderately transverse,, 

 sides gently rounded, apex more than half the width of base. 

 Elytra short, subcordate : base, except for a slight median 

 sinus, truncate, and scarcely wider than prothorax, but sides 

 dilated and strongly rounded : with rows of rather large punc- 

 tures, becoming smaller posteriorly, the first not continuous to- 

 base ; third and fifth interstices distinctly w4der than the 

 others, and feebly elevated ; with a few feeble sutural granules. 

 Basal segment of ahdomen concave along middle, with a deep- 

 curved impression on each side of base. Legs as in preceding 

 species. Length, 7 mm. 



9 . Differs in having the rostrum somewhat longer and 

 thinner, coarse punctures less advanced towards middle, scape 

 inserted slightly nearer middle of rostrum, elytra narrower to- 

 wards apex, and basal segment of abdomen convex across middle. 



Hah. — Queensland: Cairns district (A. M. Lea); Mount 

 Bellenden-Ker (Solari Bros.). Type, I. 1524. 



The generic position of this species is somewhat doubtful,. 

 as the shoulders do not clasp the prothorax, still it does not 

 appear advisable to propose a new genus on this character 

 alone. The conspicuously dentate and non-grooved femora 

 distinguish it from Platyporo-pterus . The clothing is not alike 

 on the two typical specimens. On the male there are minute 

 scales varying from grey to sooty, lightly scattered about, but 

 becoming dense on apical portion of elytra and on the legs;, 

 it also has stout, sooty, suberect scales, not forming fascicles, 

 but fairly numerous on prothorax, and on the elytra forming 

 lines, more noticeable on the odd than on the even interstices. 

 The female was probably more densely clothed, but has evi- 

 dently been considerably abraded, as there are irregular patches 

 of rather dense scales on the upper-surface ; the dark, stout 

 scales of the male are also replaced by muddy-brown ones. The 

 female also has the third and fifth interstices feebly tuberculate- 



