202 



amount of elytra pale. The basal half of the elytra (except 

 the suture and margins) is more or less obscurely flavous or 

 reddish, but the markings, although usually distinct to the 

 naked eye, are not sharply defined; one specimen has the 

 elytra, except for their brilliant iridescence, entirely black. 

 The front of the head seems slightly concave, owing to the 

 obliquely flattened clypeus, with its edges and the front of 

 the labrum elevated : the cephalic punctures, although small, 

 are decidedly larger than usual in the genus. Each of the 

 antennal lamellae is almost as long as the five basal joints 

 combined, the fifth joint is very short, and can scarcely be 

 seen except under a compound power. 



Phyllotocus antennalis, n. sp. 



<3 . Flavo-testaceous, some parts more or less deeply 

 infuscated. Prothorax and elytra fringed with white or 

 brownish hairs; similar hairs on under-surface and legs. 



Head with dense and sharply-defined, but not large 

 punctures. Clypeus about four times as wide as long, sutures 

 well defined, punctures as between eyes; labrum about half 

 the length of clypeus, apex gently curved and moderately 

 uplifted. Antennae nine-, club five-jointed, each lamella as 

 long as the four basal joints combined. Prothorax about once 

 and two-thirds as wide as long, sides moderately rounded, 

 front rather strongly incurved to middle, front angles acute, 

 the hind ones rounded off; punctures not very dense, and 

 small but sharply defined. Elytra comparatively short; striae 

 strong and containing well-defined punctures, interstices 

 gently convex and with minute punctures. Sides of hind 

 coxae slightly longer than metasternum ; hind femora stout 

 and edentate ; front tibiae acutely tridentate ; front claws 

 unequal, the larger one with a large isosceles-triangle-like 

 basal appendix. Length, 5-5'25 mm. 



llab. — New South* Wales : Dorrigo (W. Heron). Type, 

 I. 4279. 



The three specimens taken by Mr. Heron are males, and 

 as the middle claws are without long quill-like appendages, 

 the species cannot be referred to Phyllotocidium, to which 

 at first it appears to belong. The front of the head is much 

 as in a female cotype of Phyllotocidium macleayi and so much 

 more abrupt than in Phyllotocus; the antennal club composed 

 of five joints is also greatly aberrant, but Blackburn has 

 frequently commented on the fact that the number of joints 

 composing the antennae or the club in Australian Melolon- 

 thides, cannot be relied upon generically ; the third joint of 

 the antennae is of considerable length, but the fourth is so 

 small and closely applied to the club that it cannot be 



