BY ARTHUR M. LEA. 
245 
thorax smaller and less brightly coloured, knees more obscurely 
coloured, antennae shorter and thinner; and the whole insect is 
slenderer. 
Helcogaster varius, n.sp. 
(J. Elongate, depressed, shining. Black; head, except at base 
and a median line beneath, prothorax, the entire anterior, base of 
four posterior tibiae, and tips of femora, reddish-testaceous; elytra 
with the shoulders testaceous, the marking continued on the sides- 
antennae piceous-black, four basal joints testaceous-red, the two 
following not as dark as those following them; palpi and tips of 
mandibles piceous, eyes dark brown. Head with short, rather 
dense, blackish hairs, longest over excavations; prothorax and 
elytra with a few long hairs, abdomen with sparse hairs, rather 
long at sides and apex, meso- and metasternum with sparse short 
hairs, tibiae rather densely pubescent. Head densely and shallowly 
punctate, base feebly transversely strigose, prothorax and elytra 
obsoletely punctate; scutellum minutely and distinctly punctate; 
abdomen with sparse, moderately strong punctures; legs densely 
and minutely punctate. 
Head obliquely quadrate, with six excavations — three occupying 
the space between the eyes, of which the central one is smallest, 
the two outer being rounded, a large one in front, the sides of 
which are sharply margined, a very small one on each side at its 
base; eyes moderately large and prominent; antennae scarcely 
reaching apex of elytra, equidistant at their bases with the apices 
of mandibles and middle of eyes, 1st joint as long as 2nd-3rd 
combined, 2nd-10th subequal, 11th about once and a half as 
long as 10th. Prothorax longer than wide, and narrower than 
head, apex truncate, base feebly rounded, angles almost equally 
rounded, sides subparallel; a broad transverse impression at the 
base, base narrowly margined. Scutellum small, broadly trans- 
verse, apex truncate. Elytra about one and a quarter times as 
long as head and prothorax combined, wider than head, shoulders 
feebly rounded, sides gradually widening, and narrowly margined 
from near the base, apex conjointly rounded, almost truncate 
Legs moderate, posterior tibiae feebly bent, with two thin spurs at 
