The Carabid genus Pheropsophus. 205 



British Museum, is identical with P. J hiscicollis, Dej. The 

 two names were published in the same year and I have 

 no means of determining which is entitled to precedence. 



It is interesting to record the occurrence in New Guinea 

 of the North Australian Pheropsophus australis, Lap. A 

 series of specimens have been received from there by Dr. 

 E. A. Hea^i which are identical with one in our collection 

 from Port Darwin, on the north coast of Australia. I can- 

 not consider this insect, however, as more than a race of 

 P. wrticalis, Dej., although the typical form of that species 

 may be confined to the more southerly part of Australia. 

 The differential characters described are subject to great 

 variation ; the median fascia may entirely disappear, the 

 'apical border seems never entirely absent, and the form of 

 the elytra is inconstant. The name of papuensis has been 

 bestowed by McLeay upon a single specimen of this form 

 from New Guinea. The author regarded it as distinct 

 on account of its elongate thorax, but a glance at a series 

 of specimens shows this character to be of no importance, 

 the proportions of the thorax in this, as in other species, 

 being remarkably variable. 



P. heathi, sp. n. (Plate IX, fig. 1.) 



Kobustus, testaceus, elytris maculis communibus duabus nigris ; 

 prothoraee antice lato, lateribus bisinuatis, postice valde contractis, 

 angulis posticis rectis ; elytris convexis, apice parum truncatis, an- 

 guste costatis, interstitiis lrevibus, disperse granulatis, humeris promi- 

 nentibus, maculis humeralibus, media (non interrupta) et apicale 

 lateraliter confiuentibus areis duabus magnis nigris includentibus, 

 scutello, cum puncto parvo subscutellari, corpore subtus pedibusque 

 testaceis. Long. 19 "5 m.m. 



Hob. Bukma, Moulmein. 



The type of this fine species has been presented to the 

 Museum by Dr. E. A. Heath, who possesses a second speci- 

 men. It is remarkable as showing a greater apparent 

 relationship to the American section of the genus than to 

 any other. In size and coloration it most resembles the 

 variety succinctus of P. mquinoctialis, L., and in a more 

 important characteristic, viz. the peculiar surface of the 

 elytra, it is totally unlike any other known Old World 

 form. The fine longitudinal striation of the elytral inter- 

 stices so general throughout the genus is entirely absent, 



