406 Transactions South African Philosophical Society, [vol. xiii. 



M. umbonata ; in the type it is plainly attenuate behind. The 

 characteristics are : the prothorax slightly more deeply punctate ; 

 the scutellum punctate, although very sparingly, in some cases ; the 

 metasternal process shorter, not reflexed at apex, and, therefore, 

 more triangular, and its basal part punctate, the punctures being 

 setigerous. 



In all but one case the examples of exilis which I have examined 

 are from localities different from those where umbonata occurs. 



I have not met with much variation in the colour of the prothorax, 

 the pattern seems so far to consist of two black bands in the median 

 part of the red surface ; these bands seldom reach the base. 



Length 15-18 mm. ; width 8J-9J mm. 



Hab. Cape Colony (Burgh ersdorp, Kimberley) ; Orange Eiver 

 Colony (Vredeford) ; Transvaal (Boksburg, Potchefstroom) ; Natal 

 (Durban, Frere). 



Melinesthes algoensis, Westw., 

 Arcan. Bntom., i., p. 184, pi. 45, fig. a. 

 ? M. soror, Kr., Deutsch. Entom. Zeitschr., 1891, p. 1. 



Male : Head, prothorax, with the exception of two elongate 

 longitudinal black bands, scutellum, pygidium, the two apical 

 segments of the abdomen, legs, posternum, and antennae red ; 

 elytra flavous and having on each side a humeral black round spot, 

 suture with a conspicuous black band, outer margin very narrowly 

 rufescent ; clypeus deeply excavate, the sides produced into two 

 long horizontal horns sensibly divergent, dilated at apex and 

 truncate there with the broadly dilated part reflexed, the upper part 

 of the horns is carinate, the outer vertical, but the inner is concave 

 with the lower margin conspicuously carinate, the head is bi- 

 impressed and bears in the centre an horizontal tooth projecting 

 above the clypeal excavation, the horns and the excavations are 

 smooth, but the two cephalic impressions are filled with setigerous 

 punctures ; prothorax smooth on the disk but weakly punctate 

 laterally ; scutellum impunctate ; elytra elongated, much attenuate 

 laterally towards the apex which is only half the width of the base, 

 very faintly bi-costulate on each side, and slightly yet distinctly 

 punctulate ; pygidium transversely plicate ; abdomen weakly 

 punctate except on the sides ; metasternum covered with rugose 

 setigerous punctures ; metasternal process long, incurved at tip, and 

 slightly pubescent there ; anterior tibiae dentate at apex only. 



Female : Coloured like the male ; the head is simple, but divided 

 in the centre by a longitudinal ridge extending from the base to the 



