380 



irregular patches, sometimes extending across two or three 

 interstices. On the prothorax they usually form a very 

 irregular line on each side. The sooty scales are less numerous 

 than the snowy ones on the elytra, and are more compacted 

 into spots; but on the prothorax they usually occupy most of 

 the disc, except for an irregular line of fawn-coloured ones 

 along the middle. On the under-surface, legs, and head the 

 clothing is less conspicuously variegated than elsewhere. The 

 rostrum is clothed throughout in the male, but only at the 

 sides of the base in the female. The elytral punctures are 

 large, but are so obscured by the clothing that they appear 

 to be much narrower than the interstices, whereas, except pos- 

 teriorly, they are quite as wide, or wider. 



Decilaus hystricosus, n. sp. 



d • Of a dark reddish-brown ; antennae and legs paler. 

 Densely clothed with rather dingy fawn-coloured or muddy- 

 brown scales, in places feebly variegated ; with numerous stiff 

 erect setae scattered about. 



Head wide ; punctures concealed. Rostrum short and 

 wide ; punctures concealed behind antennae, but distinct in 

 front of same. Scape stout, inserted almost in middle of 

 rostrum, the length of two following joints combined ; first 

 joint of funicle dilated to apex, the length of three following 

 combined. Prothorax lightly transverse, sides subparallel on 

 basal half, thence coarctate to apex ; with dense normally- 

 concealed punctures. Elytra very little wider than prothorax, 

 base lightly trisinuate, sides feebly rounded to beyond the 

 middle, thence rapidly diminishing in width to apex ; with 

 rows of large concealed punctures, in light striae. Mesostei'nal 

 rece'ptacle like half of an elevated ring. Abdomen with dense 

 but more or less concealed punctures. Femora stout, moder- 

 ately grooved and lightly dentate ; third tarsal joint wide and 

 deeply bilobed. Length, 3 mm. 



9 . Differs in having the rostrum with smaller punctures 

 and clothing terminated before antennae, scape somewhat thin- 

 ner, and the basal segment of abdomen more convex. 



Hah. — New South Wales: Narara (E. W. Ferguson). 



In general appearance close to noctivagus, but slightly 

 less robust, with more numerous erect setae scattered about, and 

 rostrum without clothing beyond insertion of antennae in male. 

 All the femora are dentate, but the teeth are minute and in- 

 visible from most directions. On the types there are four 

 vague sooty lines on the prothorax, the setae (which are stouter 

 and less erect than on the elytra) being almost confined to 

 them. On the elytra there is a feeble, pale (on one specimen 

 almost white) oblique stripe from near each shoulder to near 



