EL Latit RUPIAH PLE C OLE EEO Gree Lene ted WL ie ba MQ SEALE MALMIROT We Ne oa the He HCD VPN ae heed eh Nivel Mi Aya aha (9 ‘ 4 2 ; - i { ! det " pe : ye iat ‘ }oit { Me 4 Ay " eIMLHIE hha 1} at 1 hd perag gh ot ae Ae Nh PA ae ny OP HL) ae b thy bys rhe wally viny et ht pA Be seserns ofee he e, "ats b i we i eal ’ DArhe wees } Syaaiieh it f i HY bs Gs OPT iy ) , Aah MSHA oy por Ta Ake th eae vie i} rel Faken 409 dares } A UE Mea tare on AAT 4 iy iy oa atyaehr hea Bho Lt \ “4 4! nee) [ ah Wi ee ae nee " ir yey Serta nh 5 hie he ebay *) wha , U Are! { i ( ah ae ‘ i} 4 m Se ata, | Male ted Wait th) fi fe 4 \/ All J AY ihn? ti ie dy bent ) ede ley ' 1 Mop we Mite anes Voi sett tt ' ‘ 4a 4 +7 » t Heer r 4 maha et iv ‘ ve ivan IN uit ") f My ys ey \ Mie Woe Ble ede Mey ‘ j A iseda ys ‘age 8 Vite Mate nantedt ty iy LN AY j iy 2 ' 1) pete tate de he le jads be pit fee MEL Ne Fis K} vy vn ep HRC iA aM OD saa MBO ME aur jU lake Margie eR 44 Me RiAyn vay iy MM dda We ahoed diay ae As » } Nations ys be fle ab ’ a wea A WA dat ; wh 7 CM OAR beara A eds Ce Coa tea by . nap fc ed ) bile mY , s pu eal Ja is AP de Op 1 idee ade aaa bene beg ot Ht USN aE Pa Te Piatt t ieee) y ‘ . 4! 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SS Sars ae 4 PCNA a ‘Hat Bere eit ACES LIBRARY OO 90000-0404 O00 OY ILLINOIS STATE $ > LABORATORY 4 OF NATURAL HISTORY ¢ LIBRARY 4 $ YOO 04040505050506 Od A eae Return this book on or before the Latest Date stamped below. A charge is made on all overdue books. University of Illinois Library Digitized by the Internet Archive In 2013 http://archive.org/details/transactionsproc3738phil TRANSACTIONS AND PROCBEDINGS OF THE ROVAL SOCIETY of SOUTH AUSTRALIA (INCORPORATED). wa a Bt Pes. oa xX VV OT I. [Wrra Nine Phares anp OnE Figure In THE TEXT. ] Peron, boa EN SHILLINGS. Adelaide : RIGBY, LIMITED, 74, KING WILLIAM STREET. DECEMBER, 1913. Parcels for transmission to the Royal Society of South Aus- tralia from Europe and America should be addressed “per Rigby, Ltd., care Messrs. Thos. Meadows & Co. 34, Milk Street, Cheapside, London," Moprl Sactety of South Australia (INCORPORATED), Patron: HIS EXCELLENCY SIR DAY HORT BOSANQUET, G.C.V.O.. K.C.B. — , e, balipe fit) 1 Nak eA a ll ; St yet 4 4 | ar Vt Ne .+ al My ‘ f / \ - Us ae Pion) 2) ea ee ; - Pi E- 5 be r vhin ; a j yr i Lip yet NU eta Ce Gt : > Cs Man Thay ' i « . . Y j ’ i tha Uy i y i 00 ¢ , P Fe Lae 4 j i 5 i 1 iy a ; j a. ; 5 . i a y ~- P e } a { U i » | ae i ; , * rf ¢ if ») y a 4 / te .») wie a} = Ps: oo 4b iid ates ba AMT EAS" TE eke, Wa Re oc i Batts A" Ey j K 1) EE bss : \¢ H rT } al be? " tate ao Veep ‘ aN, t -—,. ALY bla te { ya wel eee “5 { Ut ay ever P| th at hao ‘tanlp PER A thy), se AE A he ane ae THE FLOWERING AND FRUITING OF PECTINELLA ANTARCTICA (CYMODOCEA ANTARCTICA), By J. M. Brack. Read April 10, 1913. I Puate I. Pectinella, yen. novum. Flores unisexuales, solitaru, basi vaginante foliorum inclusi; flos masculus nudus; anthere 2, quadriloculares, leviter cohzrentes, ped- unculo communi insertz, polline filamentoso; flos femineus szepius bracteolis membranaceis plus minus connatis absconditus; carpella gemina, non _ pedi- cellata sed pedunculo communi inserta, in stylum attenuata, stigmatibus 3 capillaribus; carpellum fructi- ferum subdrupaceum, mesocarpio carnoso, endocarpio corneo, in lobos 4 truncatos rigidos productum, itaque perianthium quadrilobatum simulans; embryo mox intra fructum apice ramuli persistentem germinans et per basin fissam styli procedens, demumque pericarpio emacerato quadripartito et pectiniformi cinctus ad fundum maris descendens et ibi radicans. Folia alterno-disticha, caules nonnulli repentes, ad nodos radicantes. Herbz sub- marine. This genus differs from any other in Potamogetonacee in the structure of the anthers, the hard 4-lobed framework of the fruiting carpel, and the peculiar mode of reproduction. Pectinella antarctica. Herba submersa, floribus dioicis, foliis apice lunatis, anthera a basi valvis 3 dehiscente, connectivo in acumina gemina producto, uno carpello sepe abortivo. This plant has already received nine different names : — Amphibolis zosterifolia, Agardh; Caulima antarctica, R. Br. ; Cymodocea antarctica, Endl.; Cymodocea zosterifolia, F. v. M.; Graumuellera antarctica, Reichb.; Kernera antarctica, Schult. ; Posidonia antarctica, Spreng.; Rwppia antarctica, Labill.; Thalassia antarctica, F. v. M. This multiplicity of names is chiefly due to the flowers remaining unknown for so long. It grows in salt water along the coasts of Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, and was first recorded by Labillardiere, the botanist of the expedition sent by Louis B 2 XVI. in 1791 to search for La Pérouse. His specimens, obtained near Cape Leeuwin, W.A., were in leaf only, and judging by analogy, he named and figured them as Ruppia antarctica in his Nove Hollandie Plantarum Specimen, ii., p. 116, tab. 264, published in 1806. Charles Gaudichaud, botanist to Freycinet’s voyage of discovery, 1817-1820, collected the same plant at Shark Bay, W.A., and this time male flowers were found and described (Voyage autour du Monde: Botanique, p. 430, tab. 40, fig. 2). No further investigations seem to have been made with regard to this plant for many years, until Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, a Fellow of this Society, acting on the suggestion of Baron von Mueller, collected specimens at Ardrossan, and gave the result of his researches in two papers read before the Royal Society in 1880, the first being entitled “Some Observations on the Propagation of Cymodocea antarctica, Endl.’’ (Trans. Roy. Soc., S.A., iv., 1-4 and 47-49, plates 1 and 5). Mr. Tepper does not appear to have found the male or young female flowers, but the conclusion at which he arrived is, I think, justified by the facts. It was “that the plant does not at all develop a fruit proper, nor does the seed ever become dissociated from its plant, but that the fertilized ovum at once germinates and develops into a new plant, which at maturity is detached, and begins an independent cycle of existence.’’ The object of the present paper is to supplement the observations made by Mr. Tepper over thirty years ago. Mr. Tepper forwarded his paper and specimens to Pro- fessor P. Ascherson, of Berlin, who replied that in the “fruits” he could find “nothing of the organs of a pistillate blossom, seeds,” etc., and he considered the process to be purely one of vegetative reproduction (Trans. Roy. Soc., S.A., v., 37). In the same letter Ascherson states that he had seen one specimen of the female flower submitted by Baron von Mueller. This must have been a very young flower, and the fact that the 4-lobed comb is the final stage of the female flower was over- looked. The theory of vegetative reproduction seems to have been accepted by botanists ever since 1880. P. Ascherson, speaking of Cymodocea antarctica in Engler and Prantl’s Nattrliche Pflanzenfamilien, ., 1, 195-6 (1889), summarizes the supposed process as follows:—‘‘An ordinary foliage leaf {at the summit of a leafy shoot] is succeeded by a scale-leaf or ‘comb-leaf,’ whose median plane is transverse to that of the foliage-leaf. To this scale-leaf are added other leaves in nor- mal distichous succession. By destruction of its softer parts the strongly developed mechanical tissue of the new comblike, incised scale-leaf is set free; beneath its insertion the end 3 of the shoot divides, anchors itself firmly by means of the comb- leaf, takes root and grows into a new plant.” A. Kerner, in his Natural History of Plants, 1i., 807 (English ed. 1895) says: -—‘““Towards the close of the winter the end of the stem above the leaves is seen to become peculiarly modified. Its internodes become much contracted, and at the lowest node is developed a scale-leaf with 4 lobes, which sur- rounds the leaves developed from the upper nodes, like a cup. Buds arise in the axils of one or two of these leaves, while the leaves themselves die and decay. The parenchyma of the 4-lobed, cup-shaped scale-leaf also decays, and only its stiff veins remain, so that instead of the cup there are now only comb-like scales. After this alteration has taken place, the tissue of the stem below the pectinate scales breaks across, and the whole shoot-apex, separated from the lower part of the stem, which has long been in a leafless condition, is carried away by the currents of the water.” The views expressed by these eminent authorities will require considerable modification when it is realized that the new plant springs, not from any reduced leaf or scale-leaf, but from the female flower itself. At the beginning of this year Mr. H. H. D. Griffith called my attention to this plant, which grows beyond low-water mark at. Henley Beach, and is often cast up on the shore. He suc- ceeded in finding several male flowers and also the female flower in such various stages of growth as enabled us to trace its gradual development up to the “comb.” The flowers are dicecious, and both male and female grow at the end of rather short branches, sheltered by the broad sheaths of the two upper- most leaves. The males have no other protection, and consist of two 4-celled anthers on a common peduncle. Each anther opens from below in 3 valves and emits the threadlike pollen- cells, which float about in the water until they find the slender stigmas of the female flower. This consists of twin carpels on a common peduncle, one carpel often abortive. Like the males, they are at first sheltered in the leaf-sheath, but they have also in most cases a row of membranous bracteoles, often united in the shape of a cup which completely encloses the flower. As soon as fertilization has taken place the long stigmas break off, and without any period of rest the embryo begins to grow and the fruit to form. Four small truncate lobes, which have appeared about the middle of the carpel, increase rapidly in size and spread outwards, assuming the appearance of a perianth. Fleshy on the outside, they soon develop a horny inner framework, whose short, tubular part forms the inner- most layer of the pericarp and protects the growing embryo. Nourished by the albumen stored about its base, the embryo B2 4 soon reaches the summit of the fruit. In the meantime the base of the style has split into two parts, and through the aperture the plumule emerges into the water. The soft tissue of the pericarp decays, probably by a sort of maceration in the sea water, and there remains only a 4-lobed comb, each lobe cut into 10-20 subulate teeth, and the hardened tube gripping the base of the embryonic plant. The comb breaks away from the end of the branch and sinks to the bottom, where the teeth of the lobes catch in the fibres of Posidonia australis, or in other material lying on the sea-floor, and so anchor the new plant while it roots and grows. There are still several points which require clearing up, such as the history of the ovule in the very young carpel, which has not yet been seen. At the fall of the stigmas, the embryo already occupies nearly the whole of the ovary, and the integuments of the ovule seem to have been absorbed, per- haps in the store of albumen. Or it may be that the pollen finds great difficulty in reaching the stigmas, and that in order to ensure reproduction of the species, the ovary develops a bud in place of an ovule, as is said to occur sometimes in Crinum and Amaryllis. Against this hypothesis are the facts that the growth in the ovary resembles an embryo, that the anthers are fertile, and that no fruits of a different and more normal character have been found. Nor do we yet know what period elapses between the emergence of the embryo from the fruit and the fall of the comb, but probably flowering takes place from September to January, and the young plants are firmly rooted before the beginning of winter. It is also probable that there are two forms of P. antarctica. One, very numerous at Henley Beach, and which may be considered the type, has shorter leaves (sheath, 8-10 mm. long; blade, 12-35 mm. long), and a much rarer variety, found at the same place, has longer leaves (sheath, 15-20 mm. ; blade, 40-70 mm.). No male flowers or young females of the type were found, January being apparently too late for them, but both were gathered on the long-leaved variety, which flowers later, and the development of the carpel, apart from the fact that the membranous bracts are fewer, although rarely quite obsolete, is exactly the same as in the short-leaved form. There are certain analogies between the fruiting of Pectinella and that of two genera of a distant family, the Rhizophoracee. In Rhizophora (the tropical mangrove) there is likewise no seed in the ordinary sense of the term, as the embryo germinates in the fruit while the latter is still growing on the tree, and without a period of rest; in Brugwera the similarity is increased by the fruit itself falling to the ground along with the growing embryo. Vol. XXXVII., Plate I. ms Hussey & Gillingham Limited, Printers, Adelaide. EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. Pectinella antaretica. ig. 1.—Vertical section of female flower at about the same stage as fig. 2. 2.—Young female flower (from long-leaved variety). 3.—Female flower after fertilization (from _ short-leaved form). 4.—Female flower further advanced, with one abortive carpel. 5.—Vertical section of same. 6.—The same, still further advanced: a,a, anterior and smaller lobes; b,b, posterior lobes; c, membranous bracts, few and scattered im fia. 1, obsolete in fig. 2, united im a cup in figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6, but cut back moe and: o>5.d, d, hornlike processes growing on the upper part of the carpel and perhaps helping to shelter the emerging embryo; e, style of abortive earpel; f, style of fertile carpel; g, embryo with plumule emerging from fruit; 7, horny tissue of earpel, which becomes the comb; k, embryo in earlier stage; 1, albumen surrounding lower part of embryo. 7.—The quadripartite comb. 8.—Embryo. 9.—Embryo further developed: h, cotyledon; i, plumule; m, hypocotyl. 10.—Male flower enclosed in leaf-sheath (long-leaved variety). 11.—Transverse section of anthers. 12.—Anthers opening. 13.—A pollen-cell. 14.—Young plant rising from the comb and rooting itself. 15.—Branch with female flower at summit. 16.—Transverse section, showing anthers dehiscing in 8 valves and practically 1-celled through absorption of the partitions. F NOTES AND TABULATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN AMARYG— MIN (FAMILY TENEBRIONID), WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. By H. J. Carter, B.A., F.E.S., Corresponding Member. [Read April 10, 1913.] In 1892-3 Mr. Blackburn published his revision of this group, and rendered a notable service to our knowledge of this numerous and little-known sub-family, by giving an elaborate tabulation thereof. Since that date Mr. Blackburn has himself described several species, Herr Gebien has described seven, and the author now proposes to add twenty- two more. Further, a good deal of information has been available to the author, especially in access to the Macleay types and a visit to the Hope Museum at Oxford in 1907, so that it is now possible to correct some of the unavoidable inaccuracies made in the revision referred to above, while it is hoped that future workers will find some assistance in the present notes and tables towards a more complete accuracy. Mr. Blackburn’s table is sometimes obscured by the use of characters inconsistent with his descriptions, e.g., C. incon- spicuus is placed amongst species “with ocular sulcus,” whereas in the description he says “‘sulcis ocularibus nullis.” Again with (. Jongiusculus his table says “interstices convex and impunctulate,” whereas in the description he says “inter- stitiis rotundo-elevatis sparsim subtilissime elevatis” (sic) ; the last word being presumably a misprint for “‘punctatis.” In the tabulation given below, the author has differed materially from Mr. Blackburn’s system—(1) In attempting what is hoped will prove a simpler scheme for identification of species: (2) in paying less regard to the ‘“‘ocular sulcus” as a character that is clearly defined in but few species: (3) in paying more consideration to colour—especially of the pro- notum; with one or two specified exceptions in the species having a black pronotum that character is constant, and therefore forms a convenient character for division in a large genus; where, however, the “ocular sulcus” is well defined it has been also utilized: (4) the ratio of length to breadth is a generally constant character, and serves admirably for tabulation ; some hundreds of measurements have been made to prove this, and the author would suggest the term “rational index” to denote this ratio. Mr. Blackburn’s corroboration of Blessig’s separation of Amarygmus from Chalcopterus is amply confirmed by the 7 author’s dissection of a large number of specimens, which show that in all cases examined the species recognized by Blackburn as Amarygmus have bifid mandibles, while in Chalcopterus the apex of the mandibles is evenly truncate. The statement that ‘‘there are few specimens in which the mandibles are so hidden that there is the least difficulty in discerning their form” is only true in the larger species, or in the smaller ones if the mandibles happen to be widely extended. Otherwise it is generally necessary to dissect the head, or at least to extend the mandibles, after relaxing the specimen. The author’s determination of species has been greatly facilitated by the valuable help given by the late Rev. Canon Blackburn in the loan and gift of co-types, the determination of others, as also by that learned entomologist’s valuable memoirs on the subject. An immense number of specimens have been examined, including the valuable col- lections in the following museums:—Macleay and Australian Museums, Sydney; National Museum, Melbourne; the South Australian Museum, Adelaide; Queensland Museum, Bris- bane; the Musée d’ Histoire Naturelle, Brussels; the four first of which contain many types or co-types named by Blackburn himself. The author would take this opportunity to thank for the courtesy the late Mr. G. Masters, Mr. Rain- power oe. Mr J, A. Kershaw, Mr. A. M. Lea, F.E.S., Dr. Hamlyn-Harris, D.Sc., for their help, and especially Mr. Lea and Mr. C. French, the former for the loan of his fine collection and the gift of many duplicates and the latter for the gift of many new and rare species, as also Mr. H. Griffith, of Adelaide, Mr. A. Giles, F.E.S., of Perth, and Dr. E. W. Ferguson, of Sydney, for much assistance. Lastly, I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. C. O. Waterhouse for com- paring specimens sent to the British Museum with types and for his valuable notes thereon. Since writing the above, I have had the very valuable co-operation of Mr. K. G. Blair, of the British Museum, who has been able to examine and compare the respective types of Fabricius, Hope, Pascoe, and Blackburn, and who has been good enough to send me copious notes on the species examined. Further, and more valuable still, the authorities of the British Museum have permitted Mr. Blair to send me a large number of specimens, including many that have been compared with these types, so that it is now possible to clear almost the whole group from the clouds of uncertainty. My very cordial thanks are due for the courtesy of the British Museum authorities, and especially to Mr. Blair for this timely assistance and for his permission to use his notes. 8 CHALCOPTERUS, NOTES ON DESCRIBED SPECIES OF. C. puncticollis, Hope. Specimens from South Perth were compared with type by Commander J. J. Walker, R.N., M.A., who writes that they are identical. Below is given a description taken from a specimen compared with the type. C. opacicollis, Macl. In the Australian Museum are the Gayndah types, though, as was the unfortunate custom with Sir W. Macleay, they are not specially marked as types. Under the label ('. opacicollis, Macl., are two specimens which are two different species. Denoting these by A and B respec- tively, A has the prothorax purple and blue (the former pre- dominant), the elytra variegated, suture golden, then purple, green, and again golden-metallic at the sides, the seriate punctures are larger than in B, with the intervals distinctly punctate, and tarsal vestiture black. In B the prothorax is metallic-black, the elytra blue, with purple at the suture and golden-green at the sides, the seriate punctures smaller than in A and subelongate, the intervals scarcely perceptibly punctate, while the tarsal vestiture is red. A is the species considered by Blackburn as (’. opacicollis. It is one of the commonest species in South Queensland and Northern New South Wales, and is probably C. vinosus, Pase., and C. resplendens, Boisd. B is the species described by Blackburn as CU. hunterensis. From Macleay’s description the words “Thorax brassy-black, opaque, and minutely punctate,” “Hytra . .. . of a purplish colour, becoming green to- wards the sides . . . . . eight rows of small, closely- placed, subelongate punctures” clearly point to B as the type described, since the seriate punctures in A are not at all elongate, and the thorax is not at all black. C'. grandis, Macl. In Blackburn’s table, this is placed under the group with “tarsal vestiture black.” The type specimen has the tarsal vestiture yel/ow. C'. obsoletus, Macl.=C. fastuosus, Germ. There are some shght colour distinctions, and the Queensland specimen is rather larger than specimens (identified as (. fastuosus by Blackburn) from South Australia. Confluens, Blkb., is the same species, the distinction drawn by its author is, I think, only individual variety. C. rufipes, Macl. The type specimen has the pronotum distinctly dark-blue (described as having “thorax black’). It is of a much darker shade than that of the elytra. The tarsi are black above, clothed with reddish hair. Specimens from Cunnamulla, given me by Mr. Lea, are identical. A specimen compared with type of nigritarsis, Pasc., proves its synonymy with that species. 9 ('. picipes, Macl. There are two specimens under the label, but evidently the same species. The elytra are green, with larger seriate punctures than in (. rufipes, the tarsi are piceous above, clothed below with pale-red or yellow hair. I have specimens taken near Brisbane by myself, others from Narromine (N.S.W.) taken by Mr. Sloane, that correspond exactly with Macleay’s type, and also with the description of C. jucundus, Blkb. I cannot agree with Mr. Skuse’s opinion given in the note by Blackburn (Proc. Linn. Soc., New South Wales, 1893, p. 87) as to the identity of C. picipes, Macl., and C. rufipes, Macl. The prothorax varies in colour from blue-black to green. Of a specimen of gicipes, Macl., sent to Mr. Blair he writes: “Type (of jucundus, Blkb.) is larger and stouter, but agrees with this specimen in puncturation and in more nitid surface than in ‘nigritarsis.’”’ C. imperialis, Blkb. The tarsi are nigro-setose, with a few reddish hairs interspersed. Mr. Blackburn placed it amongst those with flavo-setose tarsi in his tabulation. My specimens are from Marmor, Queensland, given me by Mr. H. Brown. C. variabilis, Bless., and (. suleipennis, Hope, were omitted by Gebien in the new catalogue of Junk (Berlin). The former is a very common species in New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. The latter is identical with C. suturalis, Pase. (vide infra). C. setosus, Blkb., is not very appropriately named, since the sete are extremely fine, especially on the upper-surface. In the co-type lent me by Mr. Blackburn, the setz could be seen only on the epipleure, in other specimens they are visible (with a lens) on the elytra. It is a large, very robust species, brightly metallic-green, with large punctures of a much darker colour—generally blue—but I have one speci- ‘men in which these punctures are purple. (. nobilis, Blkb., of which I have seen a co-type in the Melbourne Museum, is much more evidently setose, though the fact is not mentioned in the description. There is also a mistake as to locality in the case of setosus. This 1s given as Victoria in the descrip- tion. All the specimens I have seen (and they are many) have come from Cairns or other parts of North Queensland ; Mr. Blackburn’s co-type was labelled Thursday Island. (C. nobilis, Blkb., has much larger punctures in the elytral series, and much finer (scarcely evident) punctures on the pronotum ; otherwise the two species are very similar. C. perlongus, Blkb. In description the elytra are said to be “sat seriatim punctulatis, interstitiis planis.’” A 10 co-type given me by Mr. Blackburn has the elytra substriate, with distinctly convex intervals. C. amethystinus, Fab. Mr. Blair says that the type in the Banks collection has black femora, but other specimens labelled by Hope have red legs; but this may be the effect of age. Certainly a specimen sent with a label “‘Pasc. coll.” is ticketed “‘amethystinus, Fab.,” while another very ancient specimen bears an old label “Hrotylus amethystinus, Fab.,” and both of these agree with specimens identified by myself from North Queensland as amethystinus, Fab., and is the same species Blackburn considered as Fabricius’ species. It has red femora, but darker tibiz, and a blue pronotum. On the other hand, the specimen sent by Mr. Blair as agree- ing “very nearly with the type” has a black pronotum, and is evidently C’. /evicollis, Bless. =celestis, Pasc. =cyanipenms, Hope, which is quite inconsistent with Fabricius’ scanty description. There is also a difficulty as to the tarsal clothing. Blackburn places it amongst those with black tarsal vestiture. I find, in examining many specimens, that, like C. amperialis, Blkb., it has both ved and black sete on its tarsi, the front. and intermediate being generally rufo-setose, while the pos- terior tarsi are nigro-setose. I find I have placed it amongst the ‘‘flavo-setose’ group in my tabulation. If placed under the “nigro-setose’’ it would stand next to michaelsem, Geb., from which it is easily separated by its almost impunctate elytral intervals. SYNONYMY. 1. C. vigilans, Blkb.=C. semiticus, Pase.=C. triange- laris, Haag.=C. cupricollis, Hope=C. smaragdulus, Fab. 2. C. cupripennis, Germ. (nec Hope)=C. semius, Blkb. (var.)=C. howitti, Pasc.=C. affims, Bless.=C- columbinus, Boisd. (7?) ; 3. C. latecollis, Blkb.=C. colossus, Blkb. (var): 4. C. confluens, Blkb.=C. obsoletus, Macl.=C. fastu- osus, Germ. 5. C. venereus, Gmel:=C. cupreus, Fab. 6. C. froggatti, Blkb.=(?)C. semiseriatus, Blkb. (var.) =C. cwpripenms, Hope. 7. C. hunterensis, Blkb.=C. opacicollis, Macl. 8. C. blackburn, Geb. =C. interioris, Blkb. 9. C. bicolor, Geb. =C. viridicollis, W. S. Mazel. 10. C. arthuri, Blkb.=C. intermedius, Blkb. 11. C. meyrichki, Blkb.=C. iridiventris, Blkb. (var.). 12. C. gucundus, Blkb.=C. mcipes, Macl. 13. C. rufipes, Macl.=C. nigritarsis, Pasc. ut 14. C. ce@lestis, Pasc.=C. lavicollis, Bless. =C. cyani- pennis, Hope. 15. C. similis, Blkb.=C. longipennis, Hope. 16. C. opacicollis, Blkb. (nec Macl.)=C. vinosus, Pase. = C. resplendens, Boisd. (?). 17. C. suturalis, Pase.=C. sulceipennis, Hope. 18. CU. longipennis, Blkb. (nec Hope)=(C. cyaniventris, Cart. (nov sp.). 19. C. rugosus, Germ.=C. puncticollis, Hope. 20. (2) C. cresus, Blkb.=C. mercurius, Blkb. The last named in each case has the priority, though in ‘the case of Boisduval’s species, columbinus and resplendens, their determination is too doubtful to allow their names to ‘stand. C. cupreus, Fab., was wrongly determined by Blackburn. The species determined by Blackburn as cupreus I have described as (. maximus. C. cupricollis, Hope. Mr. Blair has examined the type from Melville Island, and writes: “Cupricollis, Hope=semi- ticus, Pasc=smaragdulus, Fab. Cwupricolle type is unique in the peculiar purplish-bloom almost concealing the green on the elytra and still more marked on the thorax.” (It is a common species in Northern Australia, of which I have ‘seen a large number, which are either green or coppery, as in Pascoe’s description of semuticus. A specimen labelled vigilans by Blackburn in the South Australian Museum is of the latter colour, and cannot be distinguished from semzticus, -Pasc.—H. J. C.) C. cupripennis, Hope. It is satisfactory to set at rest ‘this much-disputed name. Mr. Blair writes: “Cuwpripennis, Hope=froggatti, Blkb. The two types agree much more nearly with each other than they do with specimens sent.” ‘This determination also agrees with (1) my own notes taken at the Hope Museum, (2) note by Champion quoted by Black- burn (Proc. Linn. Soc., N.S.W., 1893, p. 70), (3) notes sent me by Commander J. J. Walker. Germar was evidently mis- ‘taken in his determination, and Blackburn was misled by ‘this. I believe (. semiseriatus, Blkb., to be doubtfully dis- tinct from this, though distinguished in Blackburn’s table by the “ocular sulcus.” I have a specimen determined by Black- burn which has a small “sulcus,” but the specimen sent by Mr. Blair compared with type is identical with the C. cwpri- pennis, Hope, sent. C’. laticollis, Blkb. I cannot consider this more than a geographical variety of (. colossus, Blkb. I have specimens from Queensland which differ exactly as the author states; ‘the prothorax in colossus is often very transverse. 12 With regard to the species described by Gebien, there is nothing in his description to distinguish (’. blackburn, Geb., from C’. interioris, Blkb.; nor is there any doubt in my mind as to the identity of C. bicolor, Geb., with C. viridicollis, W. S. Macl., an unusually vividly-coloured and distinct insect. Gebien describes the thorax as ‘“‘steel-blue,’” while Macleay’s type, which I have examined, has the thorax a dark rich-green, of a kind that is to be little distinguished from some shades of blue. C. tenwicorms, Geb., must be very near (. longulus, Blkb., and obscurus, Blkb. (which may be only a variety of longulus), but its apparently impunctate elytral interstices and some differences in the antenne would appear to dis- tinguish these; while /ongu/us can only be distinguished from longipennis, Hope (see below), by its slightly differently shaped prothorax and the stronger interstitial punctures of elytra. C. rugosus, Germ.=C. puncticollis, Hope. Germar seems to have considered rugosus as synonymous with sulev- pennis, Hope, but Mr. Blair tells me that the last is identical with swtwralis, Pasc., a species whose interstices of elytra are almost impunctate. The size of rugosus, “magnitudine precedentis” (the disputed cupripennis, Germ.), and the words “crebre transversim rugulosa’ as applied to the elytra point to puncticollis, Hope, rather than to sulerpennis. C’. longipennis, Hope, was wrongly identified by Black- burn. Mr. Blair writes: ‘“‘Longipennis agrees with similis in all the differences mentioned [by Blackburn in his descrip- tion of the latter.—u.3.c.]. He was no doubt led astray by Hope’s leaving ‘Adelaide’ as the suggested locality for long- penne in spite of ‘S.R.’ on his own label.’”’ I therefore pro- pose the name cyaniventris for the Adelaide species described by Blackburn as longipennis (Proc. Linn. Soc., 1892, p. 456). The specimen sent me, as compared with type of similis, Blkb., and /ongipennis, Hope, has a black pronotum, as stated by Hope, the same being vari-coloured metallic in cyaniventris, a fact not noted by Blackburn in his description of similis when giving its distinctions from the Adelaide species. C. meyricki, Blkb., is apparently only distinguished from C. wridiventris, Blkb., by the presence of a “sat augusto” ocular sulcus in the description, the same said to be ‘‘fovei- form” in the table. My specimen of C. meyricki was com- pared with a specimen from the Elder Expedition in the South Australian Museum labelled by Blackburn. The ocular sulcus is scarcely defined, and is unsatisfactory as a dis- tinguishing character in this case. 13 C. arthuri, Blkb., seems to me only a variety of C. intermedius, Blkb., if my specimens are correctly identified. I have C. arthuri taken in Brisbane and compared with co- types in Mr. Lea’s collection. These exactly correspond with specimens of (’. intermedius, Blkb., sent by Mr. Blair, com- pared with type. C. vinosus, Pasc., is the species identified for me by Blackburn as probably C. resplendens, Bois., but on what evidence I do not know. C. suturalis, Pasc.=C. sulcipennis, Hope, fide Blair, who has compared the types. C. cresus, Blkb. Mr. Blair notes the slight difference in the width between the eyes of cresus and mercurius, to- gether with some colour difference, but he concludes: ‘Should be inclined to doubt specific distinction of crwsus and mer- curius, but have only unique type of each.” C. sumius, Blkb. I cannot consider this otherwise than a variety of the widely-distributed (. affinis, Bless. Like all common species the varieties are very puzzling, and I have often seen specimens of affinis that correspond to the descrip- tion of symius. This is confirmed by the specimen which Mr. Blair sends as compared with type of semis, which I have no hesitation in calling (. affinis, Bless. The following are the descriptions of the new species : — CHALCOPTERUS CUPRIVENTRIS, N. Sp. Elongate ovate, head and pronotum bronze-green (the former sometimes more obscure), elytra purple (sometimes with coppery reflections), with the suture and punctures green, prosternum black, rest of the under-side metallic-green or copper, coxz and base of femora reddish, legs black, tarsal vestiture yellow. Head closely punctate, eyes distant the length of basal joint of antenne and bordered by a fine sulcus, antenne with joint three equal to fourth and fifth combined, seventh to tenth successively longer and thicker than the pre- ceding, eleventh more elongate but narrower’ than tenth. Prothorax truncate at apex, slightly sinuate at base, twice as wide at base as at apex, sides arcuately converging to apex, anterior angles widely obtuse, posterior (seen from above) acute, irregularly but distantly punctate with indications of a smooth medial line. Scutellwm triangular, greenish, smooth. SHlytra convex, subparallel, wider than prothorax, striate punctate, punctures on middle series small, larger on lateral series, rather closely set (about four punctures to the width of an interval), intervals flat on disc, very slightly convex towards sides, minutely but evidently 14 punctate; metasternum channelled and punctate, depressed near base; abdomen rugosely punctate. Dimensions— 15-18 x 75-9 mm. Hab.—Queensland: Townsville (F. Dodd). Seven specimens examined, sent by Mr. H. Griffith, of Adelaide ; alsoin Brussels Museum. The combination of large size, uniform coloration of elytra, flavo-setose tarsi and metallic pronotum and underside makes this species easy to determine. Itis, perhaps, nearest (. lear, Blkb., and C. velu- tinus, W. 8. Macl.; but C. lear (of which I have seen co- types) is differently coloured with much coarser sculpture of elytra, while velutinus (of which I know the type) has the under-side black eyes more approximate inter alia. In general form it is near (. longulus, Blkb., C. lear, Blkb., and C. brevipes, Blkb. The strize are not deep, but evident when viewed sideways, and give an elongate appearance to the punctures, which are placed and are of the same average size as in (. wridicolor, Bless., though finer in the middle series. The metallic colour of the punctures is not constant, though strongly marked in four of the specimens. NOTE. C'. cupreus, Fab. The above species is very near cupreus, Fab., and is the insect sent by Mr. Blair as the nearest he could find to the Fabrician type. Mr. Blair writes on the sub- ject of cupreus:—‘“Type remains unique. Compared with enclosed it is somewhat smaller (15 x 74 mm.), and I should say a little less elongate, though as the elytra are rather widely open it is difficult to judge. The pronotum is less convex, punctured about as strongly, though more sparingly, the punctures becoming smaller and sparser anteriorly ; in colour it has a tarnished appearance, broadly blue round the margins shading into purple, and greenish on the disc, this is probably largely due to age, it is semi-opaque as in specimen ; the elytra are a little more nitid, shining coppery and brassy, and blackish towards the apex; they are seriately punctate, with inter- stices quite flat with fewer and finer sharper punctures, the punctures of the series are about as large, rather sharper and a little wider apart, with the series not at all impressed, the two outer series disappear a little below the level of the pin. The under-side is black, about as nitid, but with no metallic colour; tarsal vestiture fulvous, the distance between the eyes a little greater; ocular sulci are present below the eyes, but not well developed, and they do not extend between the eyes.” While some specimens of the species I took for cupreus, Fab., have the under-side obscure, or black, there is still a strong presumption that either C. cuprews is a rare 15 and unique specimen, or that it is one of the later described species. It is possible that the author has misled some col- lectors in the confusion of cupriventris with cupreus. CHALCOPTERUS PUNCTICOLLIS, Hope. Slightly obovate, head, underside, legs, and tarsal cloth- ing black, pronotum dark metallic-green (in old specimens black), sometimes with slight purple reflections, elytra vari- coloured, chiefly cyaneous, the sutural region more or less golden or purple, sides and epipleure purple. Head closely and strongly punctate, eyes scarcely sul- cate, separated by a space equal to the length of the basal joint of antenna, antenne with joint three nearly as long as fourth and fifth combined, sixth to tenth subequal in length but successively wider, eleventh acuminate. Pronotwm much wider at base than at apex, sides arcuate, the lateral carina seen from above throughout, anterior angles produced, posterior obtuse, disc rather strongly, not closely punctate, with a fine levigate central line. Hlytra wider than prothorax at base, very little convex, widest behind middle, striate punctate, each elytron with eight strize continuous from base to apex (besides a short scutellary stria), more deeply impressed at sides and apex, the punctures therein large, round, and close (larger and much closer than in C’. iridicolor, Bless.), intervals convex, closely and strongly punctate. Abdomen and sides of metasternum strongly punctate, the prosternum coarsely, their episterna more finely punctate; hind tarsi with basal joint nearly as long as the rest combined, claws red. Dimensions—11-16 x 6-82 mm. Hab.—Western Australia: Perth. A common species, found in most collections, differing from C. purpureus, Germ., by its greater size, arcuate thorax, darker colour, and stronger punctuation of its upper-surface, while sutwralis, Pasc., has a shining-black prothorax, and the intervals of elytra almost impunctate. CHALCOPTERUS MAXIMUS, N. sp. Widely ovate, head and pronotum metallic—sometimes coppery—elytra purple and green intermixed, the suture, lines of punctures, and epipleure greenish, sides golden-green, under-side, legs, antennz, and tarsal clothing black. Head closely, rather finely punctate, eyes without definite sulcus, space between them as wide as the basal antennal joint; antennz very stout, rather short, scarcely enlarged apically, joint three shorter than fourth and _ fifth combined, sixth widest of all, shorter then the succeeding, seventh to tenth subequal, eleventh nearly as long as 16 and narrower than tenth. Prothoraz 44 x 9 mm., twice as wide at base as at apex, nearly straight in front, bisinuate at base, sides little narrowed on basal half, abruptly and sub- sinuately narrowed to the widely obtuse anterior angles, pos- terior angles (seen from above) subrectangular, lateral mar- gins evident throughout from above, disc closely, not strongly, punctate, the median line more or less visible. Scwtellum transverse triangular, metallic. Hlytra 19 x 114 mm., of same width as prothorax at base, very convex; the highest point of curve (seen from the side) in front of middle, widest behind middle; seriate-punctate, the punctures in series close and small near suture (of the same size as in C. irdicolor, Bless.), larger towards the sides and clearly defined to the apex; intervals quite flat everywhere, closely and rather strongly punctate (stronger than in C. iridicolor, Bless.). Abdomen finely striolate, flanks of sternum with some larger punctures, prosternum carinate; posterior tarsi with joints one and four of equal length. Dimensions—19-23 x 10-134 mm. Hab.—North Queensland: Endeavour River. This is the species considered erroneously as C. cupreus, Fab., by Blackburn, and is the largest Chalcopterus known to me. The general colour and form of C. maximus is nearest C. cupripennis, Hope (=froggatt:, Blkb.), especially in its wide, somewhat explanate prothorax, and its mingled colours, with greenish suture. The coppery pronotum is sometimes obscured by age or alcohol, and appears black. In my two fresher specimens the greenish line of punctures is in marked con- trast with the more coppery intervals. Types in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS CHSAR, Nl. sp. Convex, elongate-ovate, head and prothorax metallic- green and purple, elytra with brilliantly variegated colours arranged in vittz in the following order: the suture golden, then stripes of purple, blue, golden-green, purple, green, lastly the extreme border narrowly golden; the prosternum also slightly metallic (in one specimen brightly so). Abdomen, legs, antennz nitid black, tarsal vestiture black, with some fine reddish hairs on apical-joint. Head deeply, closely punctate, distance between eyes greater than the basal joint of the antenne, without clearly- defined ocular sulcus, antenne much longer and less enlarged at apex in male than in female, third joint longer than first and second combined, and fully as long as the fourth and fifth combined, fourth shorter than fifth, eighth to tenth evidently shorter than the preceding, joint eleven longer and more acuminate in male, shorter and more obtuse in female. 17 Prothorax widest at base, base twice the width of apex (7 and 3°5 mm. respectively), apex truncate, base sublobate, sides arcutely converging from base to apex, anterior angles obtuse, posterior (seen from above) acute, (from the sides) obtuse, lateral carina not, or very little, evident from above ; dise distinctly but not coarsely punctate (as in (. superbus, Blkb.), punctures deep and fairly close. Scwtellum triangular, metallic and nitid, impunctate. Hlytra seriate- punctate, each with eight rows, besides the scutellary and lateral rows, of small, deep, evenly-placed punctures, at inter- vals of the diameter of one of them; the intervals quite flat, closely punctate with punctures not much smaller than those in the series, both seriate and interstitical punctures larger and more clearly differentiated than those in (. affinis, Bless. Abdomen closely punctate, finely strigose on basal segments, metasternum sulcate behind, carinate in front, prosternum coarsely punctate, posterior tarsi with basal joint as long as the rest combined. JDimensions—Male, 20 x 10°5 mm.; female, 21 x 11°5 mm. Hab.—Western Australia: Sandstone (C. J. Clayton) ; North-Western Australia (C. French). Four specimens are under examination. This is perhaps the most beautiful of all the species of this genus, as well as one of the largest. It is readily separated from its allies by the combination of large size, coloured thorax, head, and prosternum, elytra splendidly variegated in vitte, intervals flat and strongly punctate, the elytral punctures small in pro- portion to the dimensions. It is perhaps nearest to C. rwgosi- pennis, Macl., in general appearance, but differs widely in the size of the punctures. The outline of the elytra, seen from the side, is an even, gentle curve, with the highest point near the middle. The male is more convex, with the sides more parallel, the female being slightly widened behind the middle. Types in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS GILESI, Nn. sp. Elongate-ovate, elytra subcylindric and parallel, head and prothorax dull-black, under-side and legs nitid-black, apical- joints of antennz pitchy-brown, tarsal vestiture red; elytra splendidly variegated in longitudinal vitte in the following order: suture narrowly purple, intervals one and two blue, third and fourth green or golden, shading off to purple, then green, purple, with extreme sides and epipleure golden or green. Head distinctly, closely punctate, less closely on forehead than on episterna, eyes separated by a space greater than the length of the antennal basal joint, without definite ocular 18 sulcus: antennz slightly enlarged towards apex, joint three about equal to first and second combined and less than fourth and fifth combined, fourth to seventh equal, eighth to eleventh very little shorter than preceding, eleventh ovate- acuminate. /Prothorar 3°5 x 5°5 mm., moderately convex, and little narrowed anteriorly, truncate at apex, sublobate at base, sides (seen from above) with posterior two-thirds nearly straight, with the lateral carina evident, seen from the sides evenly, but not widely, rounded, all angles widely obtuse, under a lens seen to be finely, not closely nor deeply, punctate. Elytra nearly twice as long as wide, subparallel and convex, deeply striate-punctate, the intervals strongly convex, seriate punctures large, round, deeply impressed, separated evenly by a distance of the diameter of one, becoming larger and less hidden in the strie towards the sides, and smaller to- wards the base, both strize and punctures deeply impressed to the apex. (The seriate punctures very much as in C. plutus, Blkb.)—intervals almost levigate and nitid. Adbdo- men strongly strigose, femora and metasternuwm strongly punctate, prosternum very tumid and carinate in the middle, posterior tarsi with basal joint not as long as the rest. combined. Dimensions—15-17 x 6°5-7°5 mm. Hab.—North-Western Australia: Condon (H. Giles). A very handsome species, of which several specimens, three of which are now before me, were sent by that very capable naturalist, Mr. Henry Giles, of the Zoological Gar- dens, Perth, and taken by him at Condon. A specimen sent to the Rev. T. Blackburn was returned with the label “unknown to me.” It is very near (’. costatus, Blkb., in shape and general appearance (of which I have seen a co- type), but differs in its more variegated and vittate arrange- ment of colours, and in the considerably smaller punctures of the elytral series. Also near CU. puncticollis, Hope, so far as the convexity of intervals and the depth of striz are con- cerned; but Hope’s species is much less brilliantly coloured, with the interstitial punctures very strong. C'. giles: is not. very near C. zonatus, Blkb., though standing next to it in my tabulation. CHALCOPTERUS DODDI, 0. sp. Ovate, convex; head, prothorax, under-side, legs, and basal joints of antennz nitid-black, apical-joints of antennz piceous; elytra green at the suture and base of punctures, otherwise nitid-coppery (with a tinge of green), epipleure green and purple, tarsal clothing red. Head closely punctate, eyes separated by a space scarcely equal to the basal joint of antennz, without ocular sulcus, an- tenne manifestly enlarged towards apex, joint three about 19 equal to first and second combined, less than fourth and fifth combined, fourth to eleventh subequal in length, seventh to tenth increasingly wider. /Prothorar 35 x 6 mm., truncate at apex, sublobate at base, sides (seen from above) evenly, arcuately converging from base to apex, (seen from the side) more strongly transverse and rounded behind the middle, apical part of lateral carina only evident from above; disc distinctly irregularly punctate (less closely than in C. catenulatus, Blkb.), a levigate central line near base only, all angles widely obtuse (seen from above the posterior angles subrectangular). Scutellum triangular, metallic, and nitid. Elytra regularly ovate, longitudinally more convex than (. catenulatus, Blkb., sides not at all parallel, seriate-punctate, series with large subfoveate punctures, irregular in size, shape, and spacing, becoming smaller at base and near suture, larger at apex and sides (extreme lateral row very small), the intervals flat on centre, irregularly subconvex at sides and apex, finely but distinctly punctate. Abdomen with apical segment punctate, other segments closely strigose, metasternum depressed and widely sulcate behind, finely rugose in front, prosternum carinate, posterior tarsi with basal joint less than the rest combined. Dimensions—17 x 85 mm. Hab.—North Queensland: Kuranda (F. P. Dodd). A single specimen received some years ago from Mr. Dodd is superficially most like C. catenulatus, Blkb. It differs in having its prothorax quite black (in (’. catenulatus it 1s coppery), in having no ocular sulcus, in its elytra differently coloured with all the punctures smaller and more irregular (especially towards the sides and apex, where many elongate punctures prevail). The intervals near apex are transversely ridged, and the interstitial punctures are very fine. This ‘species is more coarsely punctured in the series than any other known to me except C. catenulatus, Blkb. Type in the -author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS ANGUSTICOLLIS, Nn. Sp. Very elongate and narrow, widened rather strongly be- hind the middle, head, prothorax, under-side, legs, and basal half of antennz nitid-black, apical-half of antenne opaque and setose, elytra with alternate, irregular stripes of coppery- ‘purple, blue or green, extreme sides (in one example the suture also) slightly golden, colours not definitely in vitte, tarsi nigro-setose. Head finely and closely punctate, eyes unusually widely ‘separated, by space greater than the length of basal joint of antenne, ocular sulcus not clearly defined. Antenne thick, 20 slightly enlarged at apex, joint three as long as first and second combined, shorter than fourth and fifth combined, fourth and sixth equal, seventh to eleventh setose and shorter than preceding. Prothorax 3 x 4°5 mm., width at apex equal to length, truncate at apex slightly sinuate at base, sides (from above) almost straightly converging from base to apex, (seen sideways) lightly arcuate, all angles obtuse, clearly, regularly punctate without any indication of central line, a very light foveate impression at apex in the middle. Scutellum black, triangular, and impunctate. Elytra elongate-obovate, moderately convex, sides widening behind the middle, seriate-punctate, with lines of different-sized punctures rather widely separated, and less strongly impressed and smaller at base and apex, larger and deeper on sides; intervals flat on centre, subconvex at sides, closely and evi- dently punctate. Abdomen closely, finely punctate, scarcely at all strigose, metasternum with larger punctures, close at the flanks, sparse at the centre; prosternum carinate, basal joint of hind tarsi as long as the rest combined. Dimen- sions—15 x 7 mm. Hab.—North Queensland. Two specimens sent by Mr. C. French, labelled North Queensland, are peculiar in the narrow, elongate form of the prothorax, the base of which is one and a half times the width of the apex, and the elongate-obovate elytra. The seriate punctures are very irregular in size and distance apart, but in general are larger and more distant than those in C. variabilis, Bless.; the interstitial are slightly finer and less close than the corresponding punctures in variabilis. Both sexes are present. The eyes are at least as widely, or more widely, separated than in (. howitti, Pasc. It is near C. per- longus, Blkb., in dimensions and colour (of which I have a co-type, kindly given me by Mr. Blackburn), but it is easily distinguished from Blackburn’s species by its coarser seriate and interstitial punctures, and the wider space between the eyes. Types in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS ELONGATUS, Nn. Sp. Elongate-ovate, cylindric; head and prothorax opaque- black, antennz, abdomen, and legs nitid-black, sternum slightly metallic, elytra varicoloured, the suture purple, disc blue and green, then widely purple, with extreme sides and epipleure green or golden, the colours more or less merged, not in distinct vitte; tarsal vestiture black. Head, eyes separated by a distance equal to the length of basal joint of antennz, ocular sulcus not defined, antennze having joint three greater than first and second combined, 21 less than fourth and fifth combined, fourth to eighth sub- equal, remaining joints wanting. Prothorar 4 x 2°5 mm., narrow and truncate at apex, slightly sinuous at base, sides (seen from above) almost straightly converging from base to apex, (from side-view) moderately and evenly arcuate, all angles obtuse (seen from above, posterior angles appear rectangular); distinctly, evenly, punctate, with evident levigate central line. Scutellum black, triangular, im- punctate. Hlytra elongate and cylindric, slightly enlarged behind the middle; seriate-punctate, with punctures of even size and distance apart; intervals quite flat and strongly punctate (both seriate and interstitial punctures very much as in (. variabilis, Bless., but the former more even in size and more close, the latter a little finer). Abdomen finely and regularly punctate, the flanks more strongly so, meta- sternum sparsely punctate at the sides only, prosternum with a small carina, posterior tarsi with basal joint shorter than the rest combined. Dimensions—13-14 x 65 mm. Hab.—Queensland. | Three specimens (with mutilated antennz) were given me by Mr. A. M. Lea. The species evidently differs from C. cylindricus, Blkb., by its black tarsal clothing and the finer seriate punctures of the elytra (which in cylindricus re- semble the intermediate rows of UV. punctipennis, Macl.). The colours are not exceptionally brilliant, as is the case in C. cylindricus, which, moreover, is slightly narrower than the above, with the prothorax a different shape. It differs from C. perlongus, Blkb., in its duller black, shorter, and more rounded prothorax, shorter and more convex (longitudinally) elytra, with the interstitial punctures stronger. Types in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS PRISMATICUS, Nn. sp. Elongate-ovate, parallel, head, pronotum, and under- side very nitid-black, elytra splendidly versicolorous in vitte, v.e., suture purple, then one interstice blue, next two inter- stices gold or greenish, then purple, gold, or green, with shoulders, sides, and epipleure blue. Head densely punctate, without levigate intervals, the punctures round, deep, and neither rugose nor confluent ; eyes widely separated (more widely than in C. affinis, Bless.), with- out ocular sulcus; antenne long, joint three longer than first and second combined, and nearly, or quite, as long as fourth and fifth combined, fourth to eleventh of nearly equal length, evidently widened towards apex. Prothorax3 x 5 mm., very convex, apex truncate, base slightly lobate in the middle, sides rather widely and evenly rounded and arcuately converging 22 to apex, all angles really obtuse, though seen from above the posterior angles apparently rectangular; distinctly punctate, the punctures smaller and less dense than on head, without defined levigate portion or any vestige of middle line. EHlytra moderately convex (less so than in C. cylindricus, Blkb.), its outline (seen from the side) rather straight, slightly wider than and four times as long as the prothorax ; strongly striate- punctate, the intervals costiform, punctures in strie large, close, and regular, slightly increasing in size from the suture outwards, the intervals between the punctures less than the diameter of one, their size larger than in C. punctipennis, Macl., intervals minutely but distinctly punctate. Abdomen finely rugose and punctate, sternum punctate only, prosternum carinate, legs very nitid and finely punctate, tarsi thickly rufo-setose, hind tarsi with basal joint nearly as long as the rest combined. Dimensions—14 x 7 mm. Hab.—North-West Queensland: Camooweal. Two specimens, both apparently female, sent to Dr. E. W. Ferguson, and generously presented to the author, add an exceptionally beautiful species to the genus. It is easily distinguished by its combination of deeply-striated elytra, brilliant colours, nitid surface, wide eye interval, and rufo- setose tarsi. Wider and less convex than (. cylindricus, its colour separates it at once from (’. costatus, Blkb., near which it stands in my table. Type in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS IRIDESCENS, Nn. Sp. Elongate, subparallel, convex; mouth purple and blue, front and vertex coppery-purple, pronotum bright burnished- copper, elytra variegated, the suture bright-gold, then a nar- row strip of bright-purple (these colours forming an elongate patch, not in vitte nor continuous to apex), shoulders bronze, the rest of elytra a brilliant iridescent-blue, changing to green or gold, according to the light reflected ; under-side brilliantly nitid and variegated, the central portions blue or green with purple reflections, epimera and prosternum purple. Legs deep purple-blue. Tarsi with yellow clothing. Head closely and evidently punctate, eyes distant, slightly less than the length of the basal joint of antenna, antenne widening to apex, joint three shorter than fourth and fifth combined, sixth to tenth gradually longer and wider, eleventh longest cylindrical. Pronotum truncate in front, sinuate behind, base less than twice as wide as apex, ‘sides arcuately converging to apex, all angles obtuse and rounded, disc impunctate and mirror-like. Scutellum triangular and depressed. Elytra wider than prothorax, convex transversely and more than usually so longitudinally, 23 with apex somewhat acuminate; seriate-punctate (punctures sometimes connected by very fine striz), the punctures in strie small, evenly and distantly placed (smaller than in C. wridicolor, Bless., or C. variabilis, Bless.), the series evanescent towards apex, intervals flat and sparsely dotted with very minute punctures (only visible under a lens). Abdomen minutely punctate, metasternum obliquely striolate. Dimen- sions—14 x 7 mm. Hab.—South Australia: Nullarbor Plains (Eucla district). A single specimen, kindly given me by Mr. C. French, is the most brilliantly-coloured Chalcopterus known to me. The colours are so elusive that it is difficult to describe them accurately. The under-side is as brilliant as the upper- surface. In size, form, and colour it is nearest (. meéyricki, Blkb. (of which I have seen a co-type in the South Australian Museum), but it differs in the following particulars from C. meyricki: (1) Colours more brilliant and varied; (2) eyes less widely separated; (3) seriate-punctures much smaller, more distant, intervals distinctly though minutely punctate ; (4) tarsi with yellow clothing. Type in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS LATIFRONS, N. sp. Elongate-ovate, subparallel, depressed; head, pronotum, under-side, and legs black, moderately nitid, elytra variegated, suture and sides green, the greater part of disc purple, or green suffused with purple. Tarsal clothing black. Head densely punctate, space between eyes wider than the length of the basal joint of antenna (wider than in C. howittu, Pasc.), antenne stout and gradually thickened out- wards, third about as long as fourth and fifth combined, four apical-joints subequal and shorter than the preceding joints. Prothorax twice as wide as long, slightly sinuate at apex and base, sides evenly but arcuately converging to apex, disc closely punctate and very finely rugose, smooth medial line evident for the greater part, anterior angles a little produced, widely obtuse, posterior angles (seen from above) acute. Elytra of the same width as prothorax at base, sides parallel for the greater part, depressed; seriate-punctate; the punc- tures in series moderately large and closely set (as large as in C. variabilis, Bless., but much closer), intervals very coarsely and densely punctate, and slightly rugose. Abdomen nitid, closely striolate and punctate, metasternum coarsely punctate and obliquely-strigose. Damensions—16 x 8 mm. Hab.—Western Australia: Shark Bay and Murchison River. Four specimens, from Mr. C. French, are not very near any of those described that combine black pronotum, obscure 24 elytral colours with black tarsal clothing. In form near C. lea, Blkb., and (. obscurus, Blkb. The punctures of the intervals are coarser and deeper than those in C. variabilis, Bless., and are unusually strong. The eyes are exceptionally widely separated, while the outline, seen sideways, shows less convexity than in any other species known to me. Type in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS CYANEUS, 0. sp. Shortly oval, moderately convex, head, legs, and under- side black, pronotum dark-blue, very nitid, elytra nitid-blue, shoulders and sides with metallic reflections, antenne piceous, tarsal clothing yellow. Head finely punctate, eyes widely separated (as in C. howittu, Pasc.), antennze with basal joints slender, apical- joints much thickened, third as long as fourth and fifth com- bined, sixth to eleventh successively longer, eighth to eleventh much thicker than preceding. /Prothorar apex truncate, base shightly sinuate, sides well rounded and converging to apex, all angles obtuse and rounded, twice as wide at base as at apex, closely and finely punctate, with faint indication of a smooth medial line in front. Hlytra wider than prothorax at base, oval, convex, humeri rather prominent; seriate- punctate, intervals quite flat; the seriate punctures deep, round, and rather close (four to the space of an interval), intervals finely but distinctly punctate; under-side very finely striolate. Dimensions—11 x 54 mm. Hab.—North-Western Australia. A single specimen in my collection from a forgotten source. Amongst the species which combine blue pronotum and elytra, with yellow clothing to the tarsi, it is nearest to C. pulcher, Blkb., and C. hartmeyert, Geb. From both it differs in its much more nitid colour and stronger punctuation of pronotum and elytra, besides being smaller. The form is like C. palmerstoni, Blkb., or (. amethystinus, Fab.; the punctures of elytra are arranged somewhat as in (’. purpureus, Germ. Type in the author’s collection. CHALCOPTERUS SERICATUS, Nl. sp. Ovate convex, head, pronotum, under-side, and legs black, elytra rose-purple, with sides and epipleure green or blue, tarsal clothing red. Head scarcely, or very finely, punctate, eyes with small sulcus on inner margin, and separated by a distance equal to the length of first joint of antenne, antenne with joint three nearly as long as fourth and fifth combined, sixth to eleventh subequal in length, but successively slightly widen- ing. Prothorax considerably (not twice) wider at base than 25 apex, the former bisinuate, the latter arcuate, sides widely rounded (seen from the sides), all angles obtuse, disc finely punctate, with a smooth medial line and a fovea on each side near the middle of disc. Scwtellwm black, minutely punctate. Elytra very convex (as in (. affinis, Bless.), finely striate- punctate, the seriate punctures close together, distinctly larger than in C’. affinis, and lying in shallow striz, clearly defined throughout except near base, intervals everywhere quite flat and impunctate, and very finely transversely rugose, giving a silky opaque appearance. Abdomen finely striolate. Dimensions—12-13 x 6-64 mm. Hab.—North Queensland: Coen district (H. Hacker) ; Endeavour River (G. Masters). Two specimens examined—one given me by Mr. Hacker some years ago, the other was amongst some duplicates of the late Mr. Masters—are evidently undescribed. Amongst the species which combine black pronotum, with red- or yellow-clad tarsi only mundus, Blkb., acutangulus, Blkb., and minor, Blkb., could possibly be confused with it; but the first two of these have their elytral intervals more or less punctate, while in minor they are almost smooth, while none of them are striate. I know of no other Chalcopterus having this finely rugose but impunctate surface (easily seen under a lens). The colour is an almost uniform purple, except at the sides. Type in the author’s collection. Table of CHALCOPTERUS. Species marked thus * are unknown to the author, or determined only by description. f The number in the second column indicates how far the specified character is inclusive in the first column; thus 3|9|‘‘Elytra striate’’ applies to all species from 3-9, inclusive, in the first column. 1} 91|Pronotum black. 2| 44\Tarsi nigro-setose. 3| 9) Elytra striate. 4 Size large, 19-21 mm. long _...._ superbus, Blkb. 5 Size smaller, 10-153 mm. long. 6 Elytral colours in distinct longi- | iudmalyitte ... ... ... ... imterioris, Blkb. eat *blackburni, Geb. Ke) 7| Q9\Elytral colours not in distinct longitudinal vitte. 8 Size small, 10-11 mm. long; form @epressed ... 0 i. si. ’ sulcipennis, Hope | suturalis, Pasc. 9 Size larger, 15 mm. long; form | very convex a he 10| 44|Elytra seriate-punctate. 11! 13/Size large, 19-20 mm. long. 12 Colours in distinct longitudinal eee eet.) bas ees ses, Imperialis; Blkb: ee emeuts not ... ... .... ... ...< *kochi, Blkb. mastersi, Blkb. 14 4] ee 123 23 23 44 58 51 26 Size smaller, not more than 16 mm. long. Length more than twice breadth. Ocular sulcus distinct and foveate Without distinct ocular sulcus. ‘Eyes very approximate ‘Eyes not very approximate. Sternum metallic . Sternum black. ‘Form cylindric, seriate punctures as in C. affinis, Bless. : Form obovate, seriate punctures much larger Length almost breadth. Size large, 16 mm. | widely separated Size smaller, not more than 12 mm. long. ‘Elytral intervals distinctly punc- tate, seriate punctures con- HIMUOUS LOcAPEX wer 2-4. dete es ‘Elytral intervals more finely punctate, seriate punctures ob- solete at apex . Elytral intervals almost leevigate, | prothorax almost straight Length less than twice breadth. Ocular sulcus distinct... ; Ocular suleus wanting. iSize medium, 10-14 mm. long. Elytra more or less concolorous. Colour violet-bronze. Interstitial punctures nearly as large as seriate ... exactly _ ‘twice longs ; eyes Interstitial punctures very fine [Colour green ... Colour deep silky- -purple, ‘shoul- | ders and sides green Colour uniform olive [backs |: Colour variegated (sides of pro- | thorax straight) Rte tie: bronze: Size small, 7 mm. long. Eves close, seriate punctures of even size and close... ... ... Eyes normally widely placed, seriate punctures varying in size and distant ae Tarsi flavo- or rufo-setose. Elytra striate. Striz deep, intervals costiform. Colours in distinct uate Waites Wee UAL ee Ud ogee Colours not. var. * sparsus, interrogationis, Geb. prospiciens, Blkb. elongatus, n. sp. perlongus, Blkb. angusticollis, n. sp. latifrons, n. sp. difficilis, Blkb. *puer, Blkb. *nalmerstoni, Blkb. Blkb. segnis, Bless. Pasce. Blkb. Blkh. clypealis, Blkb. Blkb. cribratus, Blkb. intermedius. Blkb. arthuri, Blkb. affinis, howitti. sUMUUS, exoletus, Blkb. proximus, Blkb. modestus, prismaticus, n. sp. On pL Elytra parallel, seriate Jae large. Klytra obovate, ‘seriate punctures smaller 58/Strize less deep, intervals more | or less convex. 57\Colours in distinct longitudinal | vittee. Eyes bordered by a carina and sulcus ... be Rae ee 57|Eyes not so bordered ... ert Length greater than twice breadth, jilon: saci subleevi- Pee Tl... Length less than twice , breadth, interstices strongly punctate.. Colours not in distinct longi- tudinal vittz aye Ate var. 91\|Elytra seriate-punctate. 66/Ocular sulcus distinct. |Pronotum levigate | 66|Pronotum punctate. 65|Interstices of elytra more or less punctate. Length 12-14 mm., seriate punc- tures finer than in C. affinis. Bless. ... Length 10 mm. , seriate punctures larger than in C. affinis, Bless. Interstices of elytra ae and minutely rugose Bp 91/Ocular sulcus wanting. 72|\Length greater than _ twice breadth. 71|Size medium, 14 mm. long; in- tervals flat. Eyes normally distant, colours in pe viate ... Messy es Eyes almost contiguous, colours obscure ces small, 11 mm. “long; colour 84 Benth almost ‘exactly ‘twice breadth. 78|/Prothorax with basal half sub- | parallel. 77|Elytral intervals distinctly punc- tate. Size large, 19-21 mm. long; seriate punctures large ... . |Size smaller, 16 mm. long; seriate punctures as in C. variabilis, Bless... |Elytral intervals apparently im- | punctate . *tenuicornis, Blkb. Blkb. costatus, longiusculus, Blkb. carinaticeps, gilesi, n. sp. Blkb. mercurius, Blkb. cresus, Blkb. zonatus, levicollis, Bless. cyanipennis, Hope: célestis, Pasc. acutangulus, Blkb.. Blkb. mundus, sericatus, n. sp. cylindricus, Blkb. Blkb. Blkb. boops, *bovilli, Blkb. Blkb. colossus, laticollis, longulus, Blkb. Geb.. | 91) | 90 84| 83 | ‘Ocular 5| Underside (1) ¥ 28 Prothorax with sides arcuate from base to apex. Seriate punctures distinct from interstitial. 16 mm. long, interstitial punc- tures finer and more distant than in longulus, Blkb. 17 mm. long, seriate Reset very large |18-21 mm. Tone series punctur es very small Seriate punctures. ‘scarcely. dis- tinct from interstitial ... Length less than twice breadth, Size large, 20 mm. long .... Size medium, 14-16 mm. long. ‘Elytral intervals punctate. Distance between eyes equal to basal antennal joint 1)Distance between eyes less than basal antennal joint ‘Elytral intervals quite, or almost, leevigate, 10-12 mm. long Pronotum metallic or coloured. |Tarsi nigro-setose. Elytra striate. Ocular sulcus defined. Elytral colours in vitte, intervals rugose, distinctly punctured ... Elytral colours not in vitte, in- tervals nitid, little punctured suleus not defined. Intervals strongly convex, of prothorax arcuate Intervals lightly convex, sides of prothorax nearly straight Elytra seriate-punctate. Intervals sub-convex. black, sides ocular sulcus defined. ‘Elytral colours in vitte Elytral colours not in vittee Underside iridescent, ocular sul- cus not defined . : ‘Intervals flat. ‘Length greater than twice breadth. Size large, 18 mm. long Sides of prothorax arcuate. Ocular sulcus subfoveiform, form very narrow Ocular sulcus defined, form much wider |Sides of prothorax nearly straight, ocular sulcus wanting eglectus, Blkb., notum may be black or slightly metallic. longipennis, Hope similis, Blkb. doddi, n. sp. gracilicornis, Blkb. iris, Blkb. palmerensis. Blkb. obscurus, Blkb. neglectus, Blkb. Blkb. minor, punctipennis, Macl. plutus, Blkb. puncticollis, Hope purpureus, Germ. iridicolor, Bless. murrayensis, Blkb. cyaniventris, n. sp. (longipennis, Blkb.) brevipes, Blkb. *macer, Blkb. lepidus, Blkb. eyrensis, Blkb. is one of the rare exceptions in which the pro- mealle2 115 116 ar 118! 119 123 ia 128 122 123 124| al 126| 1132 170 132| 132| 129| 146! 29 Length almost exactly twice the breadth. |Elytral colours in vittee Elytral colours not in vitte ‘Underside blue aie TROT hin var. (P) 2\|Underside black. Ocular sulcus defined. Size larger, 15 mm. long ... Size smaller, 10-11 mm. long. Prothorax coarsely punctate Prothorax finely punctate... Ocular sulcus not defined. Interstitial punctures distinct, | elytra variegated. ‘Seriate and interstitial punctures scarcely differentiated ss Seriate and interstitial punctures distinctly differentiated. Anterior angles of pr othorax pro- minent, lateral carina nearly str aight Anterior angles of pr othorax not prominent, lateral carina | arched downwards : Interstitial punctures very ‘fine, elytra blue. Head black, 12 mm. long . Head blue, 9 mm. long Length less than twice breadth. Size very large. 17-21 mm. long. Elytral colours in vitte. Elytral punctures small, colours extending to head and sternum Elytral punctures large, head and sternum black ... ‘Elytral colours not in | head metallic vittee, Size smaller, 10-16 mm. long. 'Under-side iridescent or metallic. 143/Ocular suleus defined. 142 \Space between eyes very wide, | pronotum and elytra widely | | discolorous . beh etnias | 143 \Space between eyes very narrow, pronotum and _ elytra con- | | colorous rad “9, 144/170/Ocular sulcus not defined. 145] Space between eyes much less than basal joint of antenna . 146 Space between eyes much wider, | colours more brilliant 147|170!Under-side black. 148|}150|Femora red or red-brown. 149! (|Prothorax strongly narrowed | | anteriorly Neh Less meyricki, *bicolor, *michaelseni, Blkb. iridiventris, Blkb. Blkb. oblonqgus, punctulatus, Blkb. yorkensis, Blkb. eremita, Blkb. Blkb. micans, Blkb. vividus, Bless. wvartabilis, Blkb. Blkb. bellus, carus, ceesar, N. sp. rugosipennis, Macl. maximus, n. Sp (cupreus, Bikb. ) viridicollis, W. S. Macl. Geb. smaragdulus, Fab. semiticus, Pasce. vigulans, Blkb. Blkb. cairnst, fervens, Germ. Geb. 30 Prothorax with sides subparallel 170|Femora black. 152/158|Size larger, 14-16 mm. long. Pronotum coarsely rugose punc- tate : Pe 154!170|Pronotum ‘finely punctate. 155/157/Seriate and interstitial punc- tures not strongly differ- | entiated. 156 Metasternum and femora Sta punctate placidus, Blkb. 157 i/Metasternum and femora not strongly punctate cupripennis, Hope froggatti, Blkb. | var. (?) (2)semi-serratus, Blkb. 158 Seriate and interstitial punc- tures distinctly differentiated inconspicuus, Blkb. 159/170|Size smaller, 10-13 mm. long. 160|167/Elytral intervals distinctly punc- tate. 161 [Seriate and interstitial punctures | searcely (or not) differentiated fastuosus, Germ. 162/170) Seriate and interstitial punctures distinctly differentiated. 163 Head black, eyes very widely separated 164| Head black, eyes not very widely iene separated z 165|169|Head metallic. 166 Pronotum somewhat opaque, seriate punctures large .. 167 Pronotum very nitid, seriate | punctures much smaller ... a 170|Elytral intervals sublevigate. Upper-surface very nitid . Head black, upper- -surface less Hitias, 4... 171/209|Tarsi flavo- setose (or rufo- setose). Elytra striate, head and under- | side generally metallic 173)/209| Elytra seriate-punctate. 174|176|Length greater than | breadth. twice 175) Eyes very close, under-side black 176! ‘|Kyes not very close, under-side | blue a be hla EA eRe el el 177|192|Length almost exactly twice | breadth. 178|180|Size large, 16-18 mm. long. Elytral colours in distinct vittze [Elytral colours not in distinct vittsze (eye carinate on inner- margin) | 181|192|Size smaller, 12-14 mm. “long. *parallelocollis, Geb. rugosicollis, Macl. obsoletus, Macl. confluens, Blkb. polychromus, Pase. tinctus, Blkb. vinosus, Pasce. (?) resplendens, Boisd. versicolor, Blkb. Blkb. Blkb. lectus, *juvenis, cupriventris, n. sp. *ocularis, Blkb. gracilior, Blkb. cael tus, Blkb. leai, Blkb. (2)Though distinguished by the author by its ‘ocular sulcus’—and I possess a specimen named by him—in a long series I have been unable to separate semi-seriatus from froggatti. 31 182 |Head and under-side andy | iridescent .. 183|192|Head and under-side black. 184 /Elvtra vari-coloured, intervals Opin distinctly punctate... ... 185/192| Ely tra concolorous (blue or gr een), intervals not distinctly punc- tate. 186 (3)Femora red 187/192) Femora black. 188}191|Pronotum opaque, very finely punctate. 189 Elytral intervals sublevigate, seriate punctures small and distant ve ee 190| Elytral intervals sublevigate, seriate punctures elongate and scratch-lke Se ua ae 191} ‘Elytral intervals finely but more distinctly punctate, seriate punctures larger and closer ... 192) Pronotum very nitid, more strongly punctate... 193|209|Length less than twice breadth. 194/198|Size large, 18-19 mm. long. 195 Eyes very close, elytral colours in wittze .. 196/198! Eyes much more distant, ‘elytra nearly concolorous. 197| - {Intervals strongly convex ...... 198 ‘Intervals feebly convex, seriate punctures smaller... 199!209/Size smaller, 13-16 mm. long. 200/202| Legs red or piceous. 201 [Colour blue or blue-green, seriate punctures very small : 202 Colour green, seriate punctures | larger oe ee | 203'209'Legs black. 204!/206|Elytra and epipleure scantily | | getose. '205| Colour metallic-green, pronotum | distinctly punctate, elytral punctures blue or purple 206 Colours obscure, pronotum scarcely evidently punctate, | elvtral punctures larger . 207 209|Elytra and epipleure not setose. 208 Elvtra purple, pronotum green | | (or blue), seriate punctures | uniform to apex ‘209! Elytra bronze, pronotum “dark- | bronze, seriate punctures obso- lete near apex ... te) iridescens, n. sp. mimus, Blkb. amethystinus, Fab. . *hartmeyeri, Geb. opacicollis, Macl. hunterensis, Blkb. pulcher, Blkb. cyaneus, N. sp. grandis, Macl. proditor, Blkb. major, Blkb. nigritarsis, Pasc. rufipes, Macl. picipes, Macl. qucundus, Blkb. setosus, Blkb. nobilis, Blkb. rusticus, Blkb. velutinus, W. S. Macl. (3) This species has both black and red_ hairs on the tarsi; the posterior tarsi are rather ‘‘nigro-setose,’ while the anterior and inter- mediate tarsi are rufo-setose. 32 A MARYGMUS. Synonymy :— 1. A. obtusus, Pasc.=A: tristis; Wab.) var 2. A. ellipsoides, Pasc.=A. anthracinus, Hope. 3. A. indigaceus, Pasc.=A. picicornis, Hope. 4. A. tasmanicus, Blkb.=A. alienus, Blkb. (curvipes, Geb.), var.=A. uniformis, BIkKby 7 een striatus, Fairm.=A. foveoseriatus, Fairm.=A. morio, Fab. 5. A. tardus, Blkb.=(?) A.. torridus, Pase.=A. bicolor, Fab. 6. A. rutilipes, Blkb.=A. minutus, Pase. 7. A. maurulus, Pasc.=(?) A. pusillus, Pase. The last-named in each case has the priority. A. tristis, Fab. This name has been generally accepted in our museums for the very common black species found over the whole coastal region of New South Wales and Queens- land. In the northern part of New South Wales and in South Queensland I have taken a purple variety, while fur- ther north there is a second variety with greenish elytra and rather larger elytral punctures, but otherwise identical with the Sydney insect. A specimen of obtusus, Pasc., sent by Mr. Blair agrees with the purple variety. I can only regret that he did not send an authentic specimen of tristis, Fab., but I find no mention of this type amongst his notes. A. anthracinus, Hope, from Port Essington. The locality is not given in the description, which omission led Blackburn into the assumption that it was an Adelaide insect, hence a black variety of purpureus, Germ. Mr. Blair writes that A. ellipsoides, Pasc.=A. anthracinus, Hope. There is, however, just a shade of doubt as to whether A. semissis, Pasc., is not intended, since evidently semzssis and ellipsoides are extremely close, and while specimens of both these species have been sent me, certainly in one case the name ellipsoides has been attached to a specimen—the common Sydney species —which I take to be semissis, Pasc. Both these species were described by Pascoe in the same paper and on the same page, and, while evidently allied, the following distinctions are made by the author. A. semissis. A. ellipsoides. (1) Elytra black. Greenish-black. (2) Eyes moderately appropriate. Eyes not approximate. (3) Form broader and less convex. More elliptic. (4) Habitat: Kiama (N.S.W.). Queensland. 33 Of these the only definite character, since the colour dis- tinction is slight, is (2), and I find this clearly demonstrated in specimens sent. Cnodulon picicorne, Hope= A. indigaceus, Pasc. Mr. Blair writes: ‘“Hope’s type is rather smashed up, and ap- pears to be a little longer than Pascoe’s, but I think there can be no doubt as to the identity of the two. Pascoe’s bears locality Sydney, while Hope’s has none—only three of his types bear locality indications in Hope’s writing on the name label.”’ A. umformes, Blkb., Mr. Blair writes, “is either very near or conspecific with A. foveoseriatus, Fairm., from Duke of York Island, though the latter is a dark. greenish-black colour.” This is the colour given by Blackburn for uwniformis in his note under the description; moreover, the fauna of Duke of York Island is typically a Queensland fauna, from many experiences in other species. A. tasmanicus, Blkb., was stated by Blackburn to be a variety of wniformis. Gebien places it in the new catalogue as a distinct species. The locality (Tasmania) requires con- firmation, as, so far, only a single mutilated specimen (the type) is known, and is probably explained by the well-known possi- bility of error in labels, as is shown in the case of (’. setosus, Blkb. A. alienus, Blkb. (curvipes, nov. nom., Geb.), Mr. Blair writes, “is, I think, identical with specimens labelled as costatus, H. Deyr (?M.8.), from New Guinea. How they got down to Victoria is beyond me. [Probably another erratic label.—u. 3. c.| This specimen differs [from wniformis| in its blackish-green instead of bronzy-green colour, and in the punctures of the median series being much larger and further apart than the rest. The latter character is present in uniformis, but to a less degree, and these two may be con- specific.” It 1s very probable that alienus is thus only a variety of foveoseriatus, Fairm.; at any rate, alienus is nom proce. by Pascoe for a Ceylon species. A. bicolor, Fab. Mr. Blair writes: “Very near torridus, Pasc. The elytra are scarcely so nitid as in specimen sent; the punctures, especially on the declivity, are fewer but more elongate, with a tendency to run together in pairs. Instead of being concolorous with the elytra, they have a tarnished appearance as in tardus, Blkb. The legs and under-side are of a darker red, as they are in some specimens of our series. Tardus, Blkb., is, in my opinion, probably identical with bicolor, Fab. The type is a little larger, under-side and legs still darker, and the number of punctures on the inner series is distinctly larger than in the others; the tendency to form Cc 34 dashes is also present, and the peculiar colouration of the punctures is the same; the general colour of the elytra is brownish, like that of the thorax of torridus, Pasc. Our series of torridus contains eight examples—Cape York (1), Torres Strait (1), Murray Island (3), Port Moresby (1), Rock- hampton (1), Northern Australia (1)—which hardly differ ex- cept in the depth of the red of legs and under-side (almost black in some), while the types of bicolor and tardus differ from them in the colour of the large punctures on the elytra and their tendency to form dashes; the differences between these, as indicated, are very slight and doubtfully specific.” From the above, and from the specimen sent, I should say that tardus, Blkb. = bicolor, Fab., and that torridus, Pasc., is a variety of the same species, having reddish legs and under- side, with the fovee concolorous with the elytra. The name of Pascoe’s species should be retained for this distinct variety. A. minutus, Pasc. Mr. Waterhouse very kindly com- pared the types, and writes: “=rutilipes, Blkb., which is like yours. Type of minutus is a little smaller, and I fancy the punctuation is a trifle finer, but they seem to be the same species.” A. maurulus, Pasc. A specimen sent agrees exactly with specimens I had determined from the Illawarra, New South Wales, as pusillus, Pasc., and there is little to distinguish these species in their respective descriptions, both from the same locality, except a slight. difference in colour and size, maurulus having the elytra “dark blue-black” and length 3 to 34 lines, while in puwszllus Pascoe says “elytra nearly opaque, brownish-black,” length 2? lines. A. frencht, Blkb., Mr. Blair writes, ‘seems to be another such erratic (as uniformis and alienus). It is somewhat variable, but we have many specimens from New Guinea, Gilolo, Ternate, Obi Islands. There are also other allied forms in this region, and these all seem to be more at home there than amongst the Victorian fauna.” Certainly amongst the many hundreds of specimens examined and captured from every Australian State I have never met with it, so that again its locality requires confirmation. SUPPLEMENTARY NoTES ON AMARYGMINZ. Amarygmus (Erotylus) morio, Fab. In a later communi- cation Mr. K. G. Blair writes: “I have discovered another type of Fabricius; the specimen was apart from the others in the Banks Collection, and had been quite overlooked by me. EH. morio is identical with the specimen sent from Murray Island, and specimens from New Guinea have also been 35 received. If you.refer to Fabricius’ description of morio, it does not appear to agree with the specimen :—‘Antennez fili- formes, atre. Thorax nitidus, ater, levis, elytra atra punc- tata striata.’ As a matter of fact the type was a dull-black, with hardly a glimmer of metallic lustre, but it seemed to me so like in structure to the insect sent that I thought I would try the effect of a little soap and water. The effect was marvellous, and the thorax and elytra, when washed, show as bright a colour as a modern specimen. The antennze (two joints on one side, three on the other) I dare not wash, but they show distinct signs of red, and I have no doubt would be as red as they should be if cleaned. This shows that the creature must have been in its present dirty condition when it came into Fabricius’ hands, and that it is not a change due to the accumulation of years.” Mr. Blair’s specimen sent, as compared with this, is, in my opinion, one of the many varieties of the species named uniformis, Blkb. From the typical North Queensland form it differs only in (1) the more green-bronze colour of upper-surface, (2) the slightly larger seriate-punctures of elytra, with more irregularity in its striation. This would make wuniformis, Blkb., and its synonyms in my table give place to A. morio, Fab., as the earliest name. The name has been unaccountably omitted from the catalogues, e.g., Gemminger and Harold, Masters, Junk. Table of AMaryemus (Australian species). Species marked * not personally examined by the author. Numbers in the columns as in Cha/lcopterus table, supra. 58|Pronotum black. 28/Elytra black (or so dark as to be indistinguishable from black). 25|\Elytra striate. 16|Upper-surface more or less nitid. Size large, 12 mm. long .. Ya METISLES,© Lab. Purplish, var. obtusus, Pasc. 16 Size smaller, 49 mm. long. Length greater than twice breadth minutus, Pasc. rutilipes, Blkb. ID TRW NOH 8/16/Length less than twice breadth. 9)13|Elytral intervals strongly convex. 10! |Form wide and convex, surface very nitid ee ee eee ese COTO, Th. Sp. a 16 Form less wide. Sides of pronotum widely arcuate perplexus, Blkb. 13 Sides of pronotum nearly iad (narrowed in front) ... pinguis, Blkb. Hy 16|Intervals very lightly convex. 15| |Eyes approximate ... .. 2. semissts, Pasc. c2 138 47 ~ 58 | 7\EKlytra obscur ely |Length ‘Form much narrower, ‘Colour 36 Eyes not approximate Upper-surface opaque. Form very wide and convex, hind tibiz curved Form less wide and cony eX, hind tibize straight. Pronotum nearly smooth. Size larger, seriate pEncaneE es smaller, antenne dark-piceous .. Size smaller, seriate punctures larger, antenn paler uy 5|Pronotum rugose. Length equal to twice breadth, anterior wages produced and acute : SHOT Pa ALE Length less than twice breadth, anterior angles not Lieto rectangular a Cee Elytra seriate- punctate. Seriate punctures large, eyes widely distant, abdomen finely punctate Seriate punctures smaller, eyes approximate, abdomen strongly punctate PS 40) be nee coloured (dark- green, blue, or purple). iEKlytra str iate. Striz deep, intervals lightly punc- tate. Legs dark. Length greater than twice breadth equal to twice breadth (arger than preceding) Legs red, length less than twice breadth ... Striz lightly impr essed. Form widely ovate and convex, tibize ferruginous . Fact wR a waeen tibiz black Klytra seriate-punctate. Legs dark, seriate punctures fovei- form Fai S20 ates gh een ORE 7, Legs red. Form widely ovate (length less than twice breadth) af 7/Form much narrower (length equal to twice breadth). subopaque, tures small Eyes subapproximate Eyes not approximate... Colour very nitid, seriate punctur es large Ely tra br ightly metallic. Finely striate, under-side red Kilytra ser iate- punctate. seriate punc- colour ed. or anthracinus, Hope ellipsoides, Pase. spheroides, n. sp. striatus, Macl. pusillus, Pasce. maurulus, Pase. rugaticollis, Blkb- aborigine, n. sp. Blkb. stolidus, lilliiputanus, Blkb. diaperoides, Blkb Blkb.. queenslandicus, tibialis, n. sp. corpulentus, n. sp. foveolatus, Macl. porosus, Blkb. convexus, Pase. convertusculus, Macl. tarsalis, Pase. lindensis, Blkb. rufescens, N. sp. 37 55|Antennee black, or nearly so. Sides of prothorax arcuate ... cupido, Pase. 58|Sides of prothorax nearly str aight. Colour variegated, seriate ete tures unequal in size, tarsi fulvo- | setose suavis, Blkb. 55] Colour almost unifor m, ~ purple- 51 bal” 53 54 bronze, seriate punctures oneal |_| tarsi nigro-setose Wee Oe hershaws, 1. sp. 56|58| Antennze red or testaceous. 57; |Elytra variegated ... ... ... ... ruficornis, Blkb. 58; |KElytra uniform blue... ..._ .... picicornis, Hope | indigaceus, Pasc. 59'!76|Pronotum brightly coloured or metallic. 60|70|Elytra striate. 62\64 Legs dark. 62/64|Intervals of elytra convex. 63; |Intervals punctate, legs pitchy- | | brown O; TIPO. ofrenchs, Blkb. 64| |Intervals sublevi gate, legs steel- Fhe bine ...:, tyrrhenus, Pasc. 65| Intervals flat (minutely ‘punctate, | “legs black)... ... tropicus, n. sp. 66|70|Legs red (femora yellow in femoratus ). 67| [Intervals of elytra strongly convex termitophilus, Lea 68/70 Intervals feebly convex. 69! |Prothorax long and narrow, elytra violet-purple and obovate... .. femoratus, n. sp. 70) |Prothorax transverse, arcuately |_ narrowed, elytra blue and oval.. hackeri, n. sp. 71/73) Elytra substriate (strize irregular). 72| |EKlongate and Hg allel, pie varie- gated } ceger, Blkb. 73| |Elongate ovate, elytra. ‘coppery- purple, punctures gold geminatus, n. sp. 74/7 "tee seriate- -punctate, pr onotum green. |Antennee and legs red ... exilis, Pasc. i Antenne and legs black S. Visi. huagonde, no sp: | 77|85| Pronotum and elytra bronze (species | large, 10-12 mm. long). Elytra striate. Intervals more or less convex ... A. morio, Fab. A. foveo-seriatus, Fairm. A. foveo-striatus. Fairm. var. “A. uniformis, Blkb. var. “A. tasmanicus, Blkb. A. curvipes, Geb. (Ay. alienus, Blkb., nom- i y4) preocc.) 80 PERSIA DIONG... ... au. v.- «s pascoer, Geb. (nom-preoce. cupreus, Pasc.) 81/84|Elytra seriate-punctate, punctures foveiform. 82|84 |Punctures purple (except in ftor- ridus). | Intervals quite flat, seriate punc- | | | | | | | | | | a 38 83, (Form widely ovate, punctures round os ase wae fedsapaehh ofagen ORC RRGe mma tardus, Blkb. (Punctures concolourous with ; elytra) var. torridus, Pasc. 84, |Form elongate and narrow, punc- | tures elongate _... . rimosus, Blkb. 85 | Klytra irregularly punctate (pune- tures not In series) ... ..o);... , VoMlOlaTisy wemeen The following are the descriptions of the new species : — AMARYGMUS CARBO, Nl. Sp. Convex, widely ovate, very nitid-black above and _ be- neath, antennz and tarsi castaneous. Head minutely punctate, eyes very approximate, separated by a space about equal to length of the second © antennal joint, antenne rather long, fine, with apical-joints very little thickened, joint one unusually long, second very short, third equal to fourth and fifth combined, fourth to tenth subequal, eleventh longer than tenth, elongate-ovate. Prothorax very transverse, 2 x 5 (vix.) mm., anterior angles a little acute (about 80°) and produced, base very slightly lobate in the middle, posterior angles subacute but rounded, sides evenly but arcuately converging forwards, disc finely and closely (not distinctly) punctate, without any sign of medial line. Hlytra very convex, wider than prothorax and oval, striate-punctate with eight well-marked striz on each elytron (the four middle fine, the four exterior deep); the punctures therein very small, half-concealed, evenly, and rather widely placed, intervals very lightly convex near middle, strongly convex laterally, minutely punctate. Abdomen finely strio- late, sternum slightly striolate at sides, all tibie nearly straight. Dimensions—7'5-9 x 5-5°5 mm. Hab.—North Queensland: Kuranda (F. Dodd); Bloom- field River (D. Le Souef). Apparently a common species, judging by the number of specimens met with in collections. Seven specimens under examination. Less wide, more nitid, intervals more convex than A. spheroides (infra); it is somewhat similar in form to A. convexus, Pasc. (a non-striate species), but its prothorax is much wider, with more approximate eyes. Much wider and more convex, eyes more approximate than A. striatus, Macl. Types in the author’s collection. AMARYGMUS SPHAROIDES, N. sp. Widely ovate, very convex, head and prothorax opaque- black, elytra, under-side, and legs slightly nitid-black, the last red at the knees, antenne and tarsi red or ferruginous, tarsal clothing red. | 39 Head impunctate, eyes widely separated (space equal to the length of the second and third antennal joints combined), antenne joint three little longer than fourth, joints seventh to eleventh successively wider. Prothorax subtruncate in front and behind (very little produced at the anterior angles or at the centre of base), anterior angles obtuse but well defined, posterior obtuse and rounded; twice as wide as long, sides rounded on hinder half, more straightly converging anteriorly, dise impunctate. Scutellum widely triangular, smooth. Elytra very convex both ways, wider than _ prothorax:; striate punctate, with eight well-marked strie on each elytron, continuous throughout, the punctures in striz small, rather close, and half-concealed, intervals wide and flat on middle, slightly raised at sides and apparently impunctate. Under-side smooth, hind tibiz strongly curved (more so than in A. convexus, Pasc.). Dimensions—8 x 5 mm. Hab.—Queensland: Mackay. Two specimens, given me by Mr. French, are very like a small A. pascoet, Geb. (Huripera cuprea, Pasc.) in form and sculpture, but differ in size, colour, tarsi, and the strongly curved hind tibize inter alia.. In form like A. ellip- soides, Pasc. (the elytra of which are not striate). Types in the author’s collection. AMARYGMUS ABORIGINE, Nn. Sp. Hlongate-ovate, opague-black above, slightly nitid be- neath, antennz and legs piceous-red, tarsi pale-red. Head finely punctate, eyes distant the length of basal joint of antenne; antenne, all joints short, gradually enlarg- ing to the apex, third slightly longer than fourth, eleventh nearly round. /Prothorax moderately convex, truncate at apex, sinuate at base, not much wider at base than at apex, sides evenly rounded, anterior angles subrectangular, pos- terior obtuse, margins not evident from: above; finely but very strongly and closely rugose-punctate (almost as in A. rugaticollis, Blkb.); smooth medial line distinct throughout and terminated behind in a foveate depression, with two smaller depressions limiting the central basal extension. Scutellum large, triangular, closely punctate. Hlytra nar- rowly ovate, wider than prothorax at base, striate-punctate, intervals lightly convex, more strongly so at sides and apex, punctures in striz very small, half-concealed and not very close; intervals microscopically punctate, with a velvety ap- pearance ; sternum and abdomen densely punctate ; hind tibize slightly bent. Dimensions—4'5 x 2°5 mm. Hab.—Queensland: Mackay. 40 A single specimen, kindly given me some time ago by Mr. C. French. Two specimens also in Mr. Lea’s collection. Most nearly allied to a rugaticollis, Blkb., but differs from that species in (1) still more opaque upper-surface, (2) shorter and stouter antenne, (3) smaller and more concealed seriate punctures in the well-defined striz, (4) shorter and more oval form. Type in the author’s collection. AMARYGMUS TIBIALIS, n. sp. Ovate convex; head, pronotum, and under-side nitid- black, antennz and legs piceous-red, tarsi pale-red, elytra dark purple-violet, moderately nitid, the suture black. Head and pronotum closely and finely punctate, eyes dis- tant the length of two basal joints of antennz, antennz short and stout, gradually enlarging to the apex, all joints short. and closely fitted, two apical-joints widely oval. Prothorax wide and short, base much wider (but not twice as wide) than apex, subtruncate at base and apex, sides widely rounded. Elytra wider than prothorax at base, ovate, striate-punctate, punctures in striz rather large and close (distant the diameter of one), intervals feebly convex and apparently impunctate. Metasternum irregularly, coarsely punctate. Abdomen smooth, all tibie curved. Dimensions—4°2 x 2°5 mm. Hab.—North Queensland: Cooktown. A single specimen (male) in my collection was labelled by me A. diaperoides, Blkb., until I was able to compare it with authentic specimens of that species from the Northern Territory of South Australia. The true A. diaperoides, Blkb., is wider, darker in colour, with the striations more deeply marked, the punctures therein smaller and more con- cealed, and its intervals evidently punctate.