416 



differently clothed. At first sight it appears to belong to 

 Episodiocis, but differs in having the femora grooved as well 

 as dentate, shoulders clasping prothorax, and receptacle with 

 hind margin not elevated, but widely and conspicuously open. 

 To the naked eye the upper-surface appears of a muddy-brown ; 

 on the elytra the brick-red scales are scattered singly or in 

 small spots. The sooty scales are more closely compacted 

 together than the others, and are more numerous about the 

 shoulders and on a postmedian zone than elsewhere ; when 

 the elytra are viewed from behind they are very conspicuous. 

 There are a few white scales, but they are mostly confined to 

 the seriate punctures. On the prothorax the scales are larger 

 than elsewhere, and sooty ones are absent; the brick-red ones 

 are more numerous along the middle, sides, and apex than 

 elsewhere. There are five very feeble fascicles across the middle 

 and two at apex. 



Ephrycus variabilis, n. sp. 



Reddish-castaneous ; antennae paler but club darker. 

 Densely clothed with light-brown or fawn-coloured scales, more 

 or less variegated with sooty, and sometimes with whitish ones ; 

 with stout scales scattered about and in places condensed into 

 fascicles. Under-surface with white or whitish scales. 



Head with dense concealed punctures. Rostrum not very 

 long, rather wide : more than half shining, and with small 

 punctures. Scape stout, inserted fairly close to base of ros- 

 trum, about half the length of f unicle and club combined ; 

 club rather large. Prothorax moderately transverse, base trun- 

 cate, and almost twice the width of apex ; with four feeble 

 fascicles across middle and two at apex; with dense concealed 

 punctures. Elytra not much but distinctly wider than pro- 

 thorax, base truncate, basal half parallel-sided; with rows of 

 large partially-concealed punctures, in distinct striae; second 

 interstice with a tubercular swelling supporting a distinct fas- 

 cicle near middle, third with a somewhat smaller one near 

 base ; very feeble ones elsewhere. U nder-8%irface with dense 

 normally-concealed punctures. Length, 2 -2 J mm. 



Hah. — Tasmania: Sheffield and Mouiic Wellington, in 

 moss; Hobart (A. M. Lea). 



More compact than parvus and hr achy stylus ^ and with the 

 elytral fascicles differently arranged. At first it appears like 

 a very small Tychreus, but the mesosternal receptacle is open. 

 The facets of the eyes are rather larger than usual. Of the four 

 specimens before me no two are exactly alike, but all the known 

 species of the genus are more or less variable. On the type 

 there are no white scales on the upper-surface, but the black 

 ones form two oblique parallel stripes on each elytron : one 



