199 



to leave it in Protcetia. Although mandarinea is variable in 

 its markings, I have seen no specimens of it that at all ap- 

 proach the description of the markings of advena. 



Microvalgus. 



In some respects this genus is a difficult one, and so far 

 as the females are concerned it seems to be impossible] with 

 several species, to denote characters by which they can be 

 correctly paired with their corresponding males. Even with 

 specimens before me which must be sexes, I have been com- 

 pelled to leave 62 females unmated. The males on the other 

 hand can usually be readily distinguished by peculiarities of 

 a large fovea, which is always present on the abdomen ; and 

 a few species have distinctive characters on the pygidium. 

 Curiously enough, these characters are not mentioned in any 

 of the former descriptions. Specimens occur in abundance on 

 flowers in the Sydney district and elsewhere in Australia, 

 several specimens often mingling together on the flowers of 

 one shrub or tree, especially of Bursaria spinosa, so that speci- 

 mens taken on the same plant, or even on the same blossom, 

 are not necessarily conspecific. 



The typical forms of several species are quite distinctively 

 coloured and clothed, so that it is quite easy to identify them, 

 hut most species appear to have colour varieties strongly re- 

 sembling the normal forms of other species, from which, how- 

 ever, their males may be at once distinguished by the abdomen 

 or pygidium. 



So far as the previously-named species are concerned there 

 are fortunately before me co-types of Macleay's two species; 

 and a female bearing the late Rev. T. Blackburn's name label, 

 scutellarisS^ Before the types of his species (each of which 

 was a female) were sent to the British Museum I also examined 

 them. 



The species in general appearance and sculpture have so 

 much in common that it appears desirable to give details in 

 which they all agree, and then to give under the species the 

 distinctive features of each. The following particulars, there- 

 fore, may be regarded as common to all, with the exception 

 of quinquedentatu s , which is described at greater length. 



cf . Head moderately long, flattened, with dense punc- 

 tures. Clypeus feebly notched at apex. Club rather large. 

 Prothorax with front angles produced and embracing head, 

 base widely rounded ; with dense, partially-concealed punc- 

 tures. Scutellum triangular. Elytra not much but distinctly 



(43) It is not marked as a co-type, but evidently is such, and 

 agrees fairly well with the description. 



