236 



with more or less crowded ring punctures. Front tibiae 

 quadridentate, the subbasal tooth small, the others strong. 

 Length, 16-22 mm. 



Bab. — Northern Territory: Darwin (Sir E. C. Stirling, 

 N. Davies, W. K. Hunt, and Blackburn's collection); Queens- 

 land: Stewart River (W. D. Dodd). Type, I. 136. ' 



An oblong, flat species, decidedly narrower than usual. 

 Three of the specimens before me were doubtfully identified by 

 Blackburn as obJongoporus, but that species was the first to be 

 referred to Fairmaire's first section of the genus distinguished 

 by having nine- jointed antennae, the front tibiae were also 

 described as tridentate. The description of fairmairei was 

 simply a comparison with variolosus, without the size, mentum, 

 or antennae being mentioned ; such as it is the present species 

 differs from it in having the variolose elytral punctures deeper 

 and sparser than on variolosus, the small ones on the interstices 

 much sparser and not smaller. One specimen has some of the 

 elliptic ring punctures, adjacent to the suture and the first 

 discal costa, conjoined, so that they are prolonged from three 

 to five times the normal length, without increase in width. 

 Of the eight specimens before me seven have simple front 

 tarsi, and from the other they are missing. 



Novapus OBSCURUS, Macl. (formerly Oryctes). 



The type of this species was probably picked up dead ; it 

 is opaque and entirely covered with very minute reticulation 

 that may often be seen on beetles that have partially rotted 

 in damp situations; all its tarsi and one antennae are broken. 

 It is a Novapus, and structurally is extremely close to the 

 Western Australian simplex, but differs in the apex of clypeus, 

 scutellum, and prothoracic excavation. 



There are in the Australian Museum two specimens 

 (sexes) from Queensland that probably belong to the species, 

 and are in much better condition ; they are both shining, with 

 the punctures more distinct and the minute reticulation absent : 

 the male (from Duaringa) is slightly larger than the type, 

 with the tubercles at the apex of the clypeus rather more 

 prominent, the cephalic horn slightly longer and thicker, and 

 the median carina of the scutellum absent. There is an obtuse 

 swelling at the posterior end of the prothoracic excavation on 

 both the type and the Duaringa males, and I have seen no 

 similar swelling on any other male of the genus. < 15 ) The 

 female (from Eidsvold, and there is an almost identical speci- 

 men in the South Australian Museum from Brisbane) in 



(15) Since this was written I have seen a male in the National 

 Museum from Cairns. 



