INSECT TAUNA. 



89 



ginous, reacliing to the middle of tlio protliorax, the third joint evidently 

 longer than the succeeding ones. Protliorax finely and sparingly punctured ; 

 anterior angles deflexed and rounded ; the sides slightly narro^Yed behind 

 the middle ; posterior angles nearly rectangular, very slightly produced ; 

 median line strongly impressed posteriorly. Scutellum rounded behind, 

 very finely and irregularly punctured. Elytra at the base considerably 

 broader than the prothorax, widening for two-thirds of their length, then 

 TOunded to the apex, the stria3 are distinctly punctured, and the interstices 

 broad and very convex. Underside black, liighly polished ; first three segments 

 of abdomen finely and irregularly punctured ; sterna and last two abdominal 

 segments extremely finely and irregularly punctured, Legs pitchy black, 

 shining, tarsi clothed with fulvous puljescence. Length 23 — 25 mm.; greatest 

 width 10—11 mm. 



As far as I can judge from the description, the above resembles Fromethis 

 Ictlialis, Pasc, from Queensland, va. fades, but in that species the prothorax 

 is said to be more contracted behind, and the elytral punctures indistinct as 

 compared with P. angulata, two points in which this species certainly does 

 not agree. Li N. sterrha the prothorax is more rounded in front and less 

 narrowed behind, and the punctures of the elytral striio are more distinct, 

 although, if anything, less strongly impressed. I have little doubt as to the 

 generic position of this species, which is probably not confined to Lord 

 Howe Island, as it answers very well to Lacordaire's diagnosis of Nycioliaies; 

 but I may add, that the characters of the genera in this division of the hetero- 

 inerous beetles are generally so unsatisfactory that their identification is n, 

 niatter of the greatest difiiculty, to a student working at a distance from 

 accurately-namedcollections. If, perchance, any errors of generic identification 

 should occur in the species described in this paper, I trust that the presence 

 «f lithographed figures will obviate any serious confusion. 



*Me^'eeistf,s vrLGAEis, sp. nov. 



Plate VI, f. 6. 



Elongate, black, shining, moderately convex ; prothorax with the posterior 

 angles very slightly produced ; elytra rather finely puuctate-striatc, the in- 

 terstices extremely finely punctured. 



Head finely and very densely punctured in front, not so densely punctured 

 behind ; clypeal suture indistinct. Antennro dark ferruginous. Prothorax 

 broadly transverse, slightly narrowed both in front and behind, finely and 

 not very closely punctured, the anterior angles rounded, the sides regularly 

 rounded, the posterior angles slightly produced. Scutellum rounded behind, 

 niinutely punctured. Elytra at the base rather broader than the prothorax, 

 ■^yidening for two-thirds of their length, then arcuatcly rounded to the apex, 

 finely punctate-striate, the interstices broad, slightly raised, and minutely 

 punctured. Underside pitcliy black, somewhat sliining, minutely punctured. 

 I^egs pitchy, tarsi paler. Length 12 — 15 mm. 



f^ummit of Mount Lcdgbird (2,500 feet) ; also found abundantly on the 

 low-lying lands. 



This species has many characters in common with Mencristes servvhis, 

 •Pasc, but its more convex form, rounded prothorax, and finely punctured 

 elytral stria; will at onco distinguish it. The remarks appended to the last 

 description, with regard to the insufficiency of the generic descriptions in this 

 Sroup, apply with special force to Meneristesand its allies. The forms described 

 here agree with Meneristes, inasmuch that the tibias are spurred and the 

 femora thickened, but the basal joints of the antenna; are more elongate than 

 IS usual in that genus. 



