63 



Both protliorax and elytra, of fresh specimens, usually 

 have a feebly-striped appearance owing to some scales being 

 ■darker than others. Thus there usually appears to be a feeble 

 dark median stripe, and a feeble one on each side from apex 

 of prothorax to apex of elytra. But on old or dirty specimens 

 the striped appearance is lost. On the under-surface the 

 scales frequently have a greenish or golden-green gloss. The 

 .setae are longer on the elytra than elsewhere, and when viewed 

 from in front or behind are seen to form a regular row on 

 each interstice. To the naked eye the apex of the prothorax 

 actually appears to be a trifle wider than the base. The male 

 is smaller than the female, with longer prothorax and legs, 

 and narrower elytra, on which the punctures are larger. 



Prypnus quinquenodosus, Gyll. 

 (P. subtuberculatus, Gyll.) 



In this species the third interstice on each elytron is 

 slightly elevated near the base, and gradually raised pos- 

 teriorly, with the elevated portion suddenly terminated so as 

 to present a tuberculated appearance. In other species of 

 the genus the third interstice, although more or less elevated, 

 has not this appearance. The suture at the summit of the 

 posterior declivity is marked by conjoined tubercles, but 

 sometimes these are rather feebly defined. The scales in fresh 

 specimens are often more or less golden, but on old and dirty 

 specimens they are usually of a muddy-grey. 



The female was described on page 493 of Schonherr's 

 work (vol. i.) under the name of quinquenodosus , the male at 

 page 494 as subiuberculatus. As the former name appears to 

 be the best for the species I think it should be retained. 



Prypnus scutellaris, Fab. (Prostomus, Schon.). 



In this species the deciduous mandibular processes are 

 unusually stout and firmly attached, and I have never seen 

 a specimen in which they were lost. Near the apex of each 

 there is a slightly oblique outwardly directed ridge in the 

 male. The processes and the somewhat aberrant front tibiae 

 may have caused Schonherr to regard it as belonging to a 

 different genus to Prypnus; but it appears to me to be only a 

 slightly aberrant form of that genus. 



Although described from New Holland, it appears to be 

 confined to Tasmania. 



Var. Murinus, n. var. 

 The typical form of the species is black and highly 

 polished, but there are six specimens before me that differ in 



