269 



Phrenozemia. 



This genus was referred by Pascoe to the group 

 Eugnomides of the Erirhinides. A female of the typical 

 species, lyproides, was recently sent to me for examination by 

 Mr. Arrow; it bears a name label by Pascoe, and is no doubt 

 a cotype; there are also numerous specimens from Geraldton 

 before me that belong to the species. The genus looks out of 

 place in the Erirhinides, and more as if it should be asso- 

 ciated with Medicasta, or possibly Acalonoma, but regarding 

 it as an Erirhinid it could, in Blackburn's tablet 19 ) (dis- 

 regarding the position assigned to it by him on account of 

 the "eyes as much on rostrum as on head," a scarcely correct 

 character/ 20 ) as the eyes, although quite frontal, are not any 

 more "on" the rostrum than on many other Erirhinid 

 genera), be associated with Desiantha, to which it is far from 

 being closely allied ; but if excluded from I of that table, 

 it could be placed in MM/ 21 ) and the ocular lobes being 

 entirely wanting, it would be associated with Omorophius, to 

 which also it is far from being closely allied. The eyes are 

 rather large but not prominent, coarsely faceted, and distant 

 from the prothorax; the head is regularly narrowed from its 

 base to the base of the rostrum, and the eyes are so little 

 prominent that they scarcely interfere with the general 

 obliquity of the sides. 



Phrenozemia lyproides, Pasc. 



This species is individually and sexually variable. In 

 the specific description the scales were noted as "griseo-albis," 

 but in the generic one as having "a, pearly lustre"; on the> 

 pronotum there is often a pale median line of scales extending 

 forwards on to the base of the head, and backwards to beyond 

 the scutellum; towards each side of the elytra there is often 

 a whitish vitta, with a golden or greenish gloss, but often the 

 scales of the upper-surface are smoky-brown, pale golden- 

 green and golden confusedly mixed ; on the under-surface^ 

 and legs they are also variable, but with the paler colours 

 prevailing; some specimens, however, have scarcely any gloss 

 to the scales, and the expression "griseo-albis'' well applies 

 to them. The rostrum of the male is almost straight and 

 almost as long as the prothorax, and the antennae, when 

 stretched out at right angles to the rostrum, are so placed 



(19) Ante, 1894, pp. 148-150; although tabulated by Blackburn 

 it was apparently unknown to him. 



(20) Nor can I find any warrant in Pascoe's description or in 

 his table of genera for such a character being used. 



(21) Pascoe corrected the original description of the funicle 

 when describing a second species of the genus. 



