28 
Psyche 
Tachys australis Schaum 
[March 
Schaum 1863, 90. 
monochrous Schaum 1863, 90. 
Sloane 1896, 357, 366. 
1921, 199- 
flindersi Blackburn 1888, 41 (new synonymy). 
Sloane 1896, 358, 368. 
1921, 199. 
tersatus Broun 1893, mo (Bemhidium) (new synonymy). 
Schaum described this species under the heading Tachys australis, 
then on the same page erroneously used the name monochrous for it 
in the description. The two names are therefore absolute synonyms 
and the one used first, australis, should be recognized, as is done in 
the Junk-Schmkling Catalogue. Schaum’s original specimen (s) were 
from Victoria, collected by Bakewell. I tentatively take as represent- 
ing the species (but I do not mean to designate any kind of type or 
type locality) 3 specimens from Ferntree Gully, about 20 miles east 
of Melbourne, Victoria, collected Dec. 15, 1950, by W. L. Brown. 
Schaum’s description calls for each elytron to have 6 dorsal striae 
formed by rows of punctures abbreviated apically. Revisers usually 
separate 6-striate and 5-striate individuals in this group of Tachys 
as different species, but the very short series from Ferntree Gully is 
by itself enough to show that this character is inconstant. Of the 3 
Ferntree Gully individuals, one has the 6th stria represented by 4 
punctures on the left elytron and 2 on the right ; one, by one puncture 
on each side; and one, by no punctures on either side — that is, the 
last specimen is strictly 5-striate. Similar variation occurs in this 
species from some other localities. Failure of this character is one of 
the things that has persuaded me that flindersi (supposedly 5-striate) 
is synonymous with australis (supposedly 6-striate). Additional indi- 
cations are that Schaum’s and Blackburn’s descriptions seem to fit this 
species and that the species is common and widely distributed and 
therefore likely to fall into the hands of early collectors. tt Bembidium > 
tersatum Broun, of which I have 2(9?) specimens from New Zealand 
received from A. E. Brookes and answering the original description, 
agrees with the present species in general appearance as well as tech- 
nical characters. The inner wings are large and folded in this species 
and look fit for flight. 
Blackburn collected his specimens (types of flindersi) near Port 
Lincoln and Adelaide, South Australia, on swampy ground and on 
the bank of the Torrens River. I have specimens from 22 localities, 
ranging from the middle part of the Cape York Peninsula (Iron 
