51 



malacodermim:. 



TRICHALUS. 



Iii Tr.R.S., S.A., 1894, I expressed the opinion that the genus 

 Trichalus cannot be maintained as distinct from Metriorrhynchus. 

 In Proc.L.S., N.S.W., 1898, Mr. Lea concurs with this view but 

 seems to think that it is desirable to use the name as a matter of 

 convenience because the distinction between the two forms is 

 easily recognisable (the subsutural elytral costa in Trichalus 

 becoming obsolete at a short distance behind the base, while in 

 Metriorrhynchus it is similar to the other costas). I think there 

 is something to be said in favour of that proposition, as both 

 forms are very numerous in Australia, and to treat them as 

 generically distinct certainly simplifies the task of identifying 

 and describing them. Accepting the name Trichalus on the 

 above grounds, I offer the following notes. 



T. (Metriorrhynchus) semico status, Blackb. Trichalus being 

 regarded as a genus this species must be referred to it. 

 T. Raymondi, Lea, must be somewhat close to it, and was taken 

 in the same region (the Australian Alps). Probably however it 

 is distinct, as Raymondi is said to have the median line of the 

 head distinct, the antenna? of the male not reaching to the middle 

 of the elytra and the rostrum tinged with red at the apex, 

 whereas in semicostatus there is no distinct median line on the 

 head, the antennae of the male would certainly reach back to the 

 middle of the elytra and the rostrum is entirely black. If the 

 two names should prove to refer to the same insect my name has 

 the priority. 



T. funereus, sp. nov. Niger, elytrorum apice testaceo ; rostro 

 nullo; prothoracis areola discoidali lanceolata bene definita; 

 elytris costis longitudinalibus discoidalibus integris 3 et alia 

 subsuturali postice abbreviata instructis (his inter se sequali- 

 bus), interstitiis biseriatim areolatis (series lineis subtilibus 

 continuis separantur); antennis quam corporis dimidium sat 

 longioribus, sat compressis, articulo 4° quam 3 US parum 

 longiori. Long., 44 1.; lat., 1J1. 



Its colouring (entirely black except the testaceous apex of the 

 elytra) inter alia distinguishes this species from all its described 

 Australian congeners. The only one of them in which the pro- 

 thorax is black and the elytra not entirely red is T. discoideus, 

 Er., of which Mr. Waterhouse mentions a form (in his opinion a 

 variety) coloured like the present insect except in having the 

 suture of the elytra red. The description of that species, how- 

 ever, calls the prothorax " antrorsum angustatus," which would 

 not apply satisfactorily to this species as its prothorax is scarcely 

 at all narrower in front than behind. Moreover I have a 



