Coleopterous Suh-Fmnily Byrsopincd {Gurculionidce). 71 



Head with large shallow reticulate punctures and without carinae. 

 Bostrum with a deep oblique lateral impression above the scrobe, 

 upper surface narrow, obscurely punctured, and with its margins 

 slightly raised. Prothorax as long as broad, sides rounded, broadest 

 at middle, apex and base of equal width, ocular lobes scarcely 

 dilated; upper surface subdepressed, its margins angulate and 

 narrowed from base to apex, rugosely punctured and with a central 

 furrow which is sometimes interrupted in the middle, the anterior 

 impression with a transverse row of 5 fovese, the outer ones some- 

 times indistinct ; the sides coarsely punctured, the more prominent 

 middle portion usually impunctate. Elytra short, subquadrate, 

 only a little longer than broad, shoulders roundly prominent, sides 

 slightly rounded, broadest rather before middle, the extreme apices 

 slightly divergent ; upper surface irregularly punctate, the intervals 

 4, 6 and the apical half of 2 carinate and each ending in a small 

 tubercular prominence on the declivity, intervals 3 and 5 each with 

 a short prominent oblique carina at base; inflexed margins punctato- 

 sulcate with the intervals costate. Legs with obscure brown scaling 

 and sparse pale setae ; tarsi slender, the posterior pair with joint 1 

 longer than 2, 2 and 3 being more narrowed than usual towards 

 the base. 



Cape Colony : Eondebosch {L. P&ringiiey). 



Type in the British Museum (ex coll. Vigors). 



The subquadrate, bare, carinate elytra in conjunction with the 

 yellowish thorax give this species a very distinctive appearance, 

 rather suggesting a Brotheus. Described from three examples, 

 the two co-types being in the South African Museum. 



9. Byrsops vexator, sp. nov. 



Long. 6i-7 ; lat. 3i-3f mm. 



Colour black, the elytra either bare or with sandy grey scaling 

 and with two small velvet black spots at the base and a similar large 

 rounded sutural spot before middle (sometimes absent) ; thorax with 

 dense pale grey or yellowish scaling. 



Head uneven, but without definite carina. Bostrum with a deep 

 oblique lateral impression above the scrobe, the upper surface 

 narrow, its margins costate and approximating anteriorly, the 

 depression between them containing a fine central carina. Pro- 

 thorax dorsally about as long as broad, sides rounded, broadest at 

 middle, apex and base of equal width, ocular lobes scarcely dilated ; 

 upper surface coarsely and confluently punctured, its margins 

 angulate and narrowed from base to apex, the basal portion more 



