227 



9, var. (?). Nitid-black, punctures on head, pronotum, 

 and elytra more pronounced, especially towards the sides and 

 apex of elytra, the seriate punctures being more coarse and 

 elongate here; the tubercles on the forehead more rounded, 

 the sides of prothorax straighter, the anterior angles more 

 squarely rounded, the elytra! intervals more convex on apical 

 half of elytra, the fifth and sixth intervals deeply sulcate in 

 that region. Dimensions — 14 x 4| mm. 



Hab. — Queensland: Cairns. 



The two specimens above, I believe, are conspecific, 

 though the localities of capture are rather distant, and some 

 of the differences are conspicuous ; but in both the remarkable 

 character of eyes bordered on the inside by a tubercle, form- 

 ing the basal end of carina, together with its general form 

 (nearly straight prothorax), sculpture (especially of the under- 

 side) point to a very close relationship. These specimens are 

 only two I have yet seen. The carinate border of the eyes 

 on the inside is one of the special characters quoted by 

 Motschulsky for his Nyctobates (now merged in Taraxides, a 

 West African genus). The true Nyctobates is confined to 

 America. The name has long been erroneously given to Aus- 

 tralian species of Prom.etliis. I have specimens of Nyctobates 

 (gigas and maxima) which are entirely different to anything 

 Australian, but Taraxides is unknown to me. There is no 

 doubt as to the above insect being an Encyalesthtis, somewhat 

 closely related to E. punctipennis, Pasc, from which it differs 

 in its more elongate form, antennae more enlarged at apex, 

 the straight prothorax, convex elytral intervals at apex, and 

 the coarser punctures of underside, inter alia. 



Bluops, n. gen. ( M era cant hinarum ) . 

 Body very convex, ovate acuminate, subpedunculate, 

 apterous. 



Head received into the thorax nearly to the eyes, 

 these large, transverse, emarginate, and coarsely granulated ; 

 mandibles bifid at apex, labrum squarely prominent ; canthus 

 obliquely elevated over the insertion of antennae; mentum 

 trapezoidal, carinate in the middle, last joint of palpi 

 strongly securiform ; antennas very long and slender, the outer 

 joints very slightly thicker than the basal. Prothorax moder- 

 ately convex, irregularly subcordate, anterior angles dentate 

 and reflexed, posterior acute and deflexed, sides angulately 

 crenate. Elytra soldered together and widely embracing the 

 body; epipleurae very narrow, not extending to the apex of 

 elytra; metasternum short, anterior coxae round, hind coxae 

 widely separated, all coxae with trochantins ; the middle inter - 

 coxal process with a raised transverse semicircular disc, the 

 i2 



