DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA

• I.

With Plate VII.

THOS. L. CASEY.

Extract from bulletin 6, California Academy of Sciences.

7

[1] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 157

DESCRIPTIVE NOTICES

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA.

I.

(With Plite VII.)
BY THOS. L. CASEY.

Read Oct. 18th, 1886.

Under the above title it is intended to publish short studies,
either of species or small groups of genera, which may from
time to time be investigated in a detached and desultory
manner. Care will be taken, however, to indicate the rela-
tionships wherever possible and whenever these are at all
obscure, so that it is hoped no confusion will be introduced
into our already overburdened nomenclature. Large and
complicated genera, or those in which the species are very
closely allied and difficult of recognition, will not be touched
upon except under very peculiar conditions, as these should
form the subject-matter of separate essays.

In this connection it may be stated that it is my intention
to include, if possible, within the faunal region considered,
the entire North American continent terminating on the
south in the isthmus of Panama and including the islands
of the West Indian archipelago, as this appears to consti-
tute a more natural region than that which is limited on the
south by the Mexican boundary of the United States.

The present paper contains descriptions of newr genera and
species, mostly from the Pacific Coast, but with a few from

12— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. 6. Issued November 27, 1886.

158 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [2]

other portions of the continent; they are, in addition, prin-
cipally members of the clavicorn families Pselaphidre and
Staphylinidae.

In the latter family there seems to be considerable con-
fusion in regard to the estimation of the number of abdom-
inal segments, and having recently seen some remarks by
M. H. Jekel (Col. Jk. Elenth. Bi'bl., p. 22-23), which set
forth the subject very clearly and fully, Itake pleasure in
transcribing them as follows : —

" Une autre cause d'embarras ties seiieux pour les etudiants est l'insta-
Lilite — cu plutot la non-concordance des auteurs dans 1'euunieration des seg-
ments abdomiuaux. Erichson avait parfaitenient reconnu l'existence des deux
pieces du dos situees entre le metanotum et les segments normaux de 1' abdomen
— visibles et decouverts seulement chez un petit nombre de groupes oil les
elytres n'atteignent pas l'extieinite des epiiueies metathoraciques — et il
avait prevent! ses lecteurs que, pour eviter des erreurs, il ne compterait les
segments du dos qu'a partir de — et avec — celui qui se presente couime premier
en dessous, et dont la contexture est semblable en dessus comme en dessous
aux suivants et fait corps avec eux, et offrant la meme consistance. En cela
il fut suivi — comme il avait e.e precede — par un grand nombre d'autetns
recommandables. Plus tard les uns n'ont voulu compter qu'une settle de ces
deux p eces dorsales ' inter Ihoracico-abdominales,' regardant l'une d'elles
comme un fattx-segment a cause de son etroitesse et de sa consistance mem-
branettse; d'autres lacomptent attssi, de sorte que nous sornmes en presence
de trois systeines, de sorte que le segment anal est pour les uns le 6° (la plupai t
des auteurs jusqttes et y compris Erichson, Fairmaire etc), pour d'autres le
7e (Kratz, G. Thomson etc), pour d'autres en fin le 8e (Pandelle etc).

"Tout en constatant l'existence des deux pieces dorsales en question, —
dont la consistance est si differente de celle des autres segments, et qui ne se
delachent pas du thorax lors de la rupture de l'abdomen — elles ne devraient
pas etre comptees comme abdominales dans les travaux descriptifs des eepeces,
d'autant plus que les auteurs qui les comptent n'en parleut jamais dans letirs
description-, — et pour cause — ces minces filets seinicoriace*, semimembran-
eux n'ofiraut aucuue modification de forme ou de sculpture appieciables,
lorsque, par exception, ils sont decouverts par la br.evele des elytres. Enfir,
meme dans ce cas, leurs analogues ne se piusentent pas en dessous c-ches
qu'ils sont par les epimeres, le metastemum etc. Dans cette illogique situa
tion on se trouve avoir un cu deux segments de plus — selon la fantaisie des
auteurs — en dessus qu'en dessous de l'abdomen, G ventraux et 7 ou 8 dorsaux
ad libitum.

"N'tut-il pas ete preferable, pour la comprehension de toue, de s'en tenir
au sageconseil et a l'exemple d'Erichson, dont la judicieuse logique n'ame
nait aucuue perturbation dans les errements anteriettrs, bates tur la parite

[3] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 159

des segments exterieurenient appi eeiables et conformes en dessus coniine en
dessousl Que Ton nous prouve, comme question d'anatoniie geuerale et
transcendante et technique des Staphylinides, qu'il y a 8 piece«, 10 nieme
(Pand. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1869, 265) eu d?ssus de l'abdomen, cela est fort
bien, rnais ceci une fois etabli n'enumerons pas dans des descriptions qui
doivent etre claires et cornp:ehensibles pour tou->, et n'assimilous pas aux
veiitables segments abdomiuaux ces annexes metathoraciques qui s'arretent
au niveau des epimeres clu metastemum, et qui font corps avec I id

"Je previens done que j'en revim1- al'ancienne methode, et que, quelque soit
l'allongement ou la brievetode l'elytre, le compte des segments abdomiuaux
se fera dans mes description?, a partir du premier ventral et de son corres-
pondaut dorsal, ce qui est la logiqne et la precision, que Ton ait affaire a un
Aleocbarien ou a un Omalien."

These remarks fitly convey my own views and are similar,
in substance, to what I should have stated as a result of
study and observation. In all my future writings the ven-
tral segments will be counted from, and including the first
as seen from below, which is the real first segment of the
abdomen.

For an illustration of this structure the reader is referred
to the plate at the end of the present paper, where the basal
portion of the abdomen of Hesperobium is figured in
detail. It is there seen that the first segment has at the
base a raised flat margin, rapidly diminishing in length to
the median carina, where it almost disappears. It is possi-
bly this raised margin which has been mistaken by several
authors for a small basal segment, partially hidden by the
posterior margin of the metastemum and the coxa3.

The true significance of the basal elevation is not appar-
ent, unless, perhaps, that it serves to form a closer joint
when the abdomen is drawn up, and still allow of a certain
amount of flexibility. That it is not the ventral portion of
the small membranous or coriaceous posterior segments
of the metanotum is abundantly proven by the fact, as
shown above by M. Jekel, that these coriaceous parts do
not project beyond the metastemum and do not in reality
form part of the abdomen; also because the other segments
are also provided with an entirely analogous raised basal

160 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [4}

margin, and finally very conclusively by the fact that these
margins also exist on the dorsal surface of the segments,
being practically continuous from the ventral to the dorsal
plate. The coriaceous segments merely serve to connect
the abdomen proper to the metanotum, and apparently do
not even extend through to the under surface of the meta-
sternum, or at least one specimen — from which the drawing-
is taken — has the first ventral so far exserted from the
posterior margin of the metasternum as to leave a very large
extent of membrane exposed to view, and no signs what-
ever of a segmental division are visible.

Another inaccuracy mentioned by M. Jekel, is in regard
to the measurement of length in the Staphylinidae, where
the abdomen is often extended, This is not, however, of so
great importance, as it is much easier to state, if the speci-
men be unique, whether or not the abdomen is extended,
than to make minute measurements of other portions of the
body. If the specimens be numerous, the lengths of ex-
treme examples should be quite sufficient for all practical
purposes.

As a source of ambiguity often observable in the writings
of coleopterists, may be mentioned the variety of ideas at-
tached to the word epipleurce, in describing the elytra.
Pascoe has alluded to this subject (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist.
Jan. 1869, p. 2), and suggested a definite meaning for the
word; the notation here proposed is similar to that of Mr.
Pascoe, with a single exception.

The inflexed sides of the elytra — for which I would pro-
pose the word hypomera — are generally composed of two
parts, the first being a more or less elevated lower margin
of greater or less width, and the second the remainder of
the inflexed side, usually limited above by a more or les3
distinctly defined edge, generally reflexed. Above this the
disk of the elytra is declivous, the declivity merging grad-
ually into the dorsal and central portions of the disk, which
are nearly always less convex. When the sloping sides of

[5] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 161

the disk are very abrupt and more or less distinctly limited
by a line, as in many species of Ljemophloeus, they are des-
ignated as the pleurce, the word eplpleurce being applied to
the second portion of the inflexed sides above mentioned,
and the word Jiypopleurce to the first, or raised lower margin.
This last has been called the epi pleural fold by Pascoe; but
in addition to the undesirability of two words to express
our meaning where one can just as well be employed, we
must consider the fact, admitted by the distinguished au-
thor quoted, that the hypopleurae are not in reality folds at
all. In a few of my previous descriptions I have used the
word hypopleurre to designate the entire inflexed sides or
hypomera, but in future the names here given will be ad-
hered to.

While dealing with kindred topics, it seems desirable to
indicate the perversity of the brain in interpreting the ima-
ges formed upon the retina of the eye in delineating and de-
scribing form. A good way to illustrate this is to observe
the letter S in print, where the two salient curves in the or-
dinary position of the letter appear to be of nearly equal
size; if now the letter be inverted, it will be seen at a glance
that the lower portion in its former position is much the
larger. In a similar way vertical lines appear relatively
longer than transverse lines, and this has led to many errors
in describing the shape of the prothorax; when the width
and length of the latter are equal, it invariably appears at
the first glance to be longer than wide, and is generally so
described, thus introducing an element of confusion and
doubt for those attempting to identify species from descrip-
tions. This defect can be gradually overcome in various
ways, but perhaps best by trying to delineate the form of
the insect; for those who have never attempted it, this will
generally be found a very difficult feat, and one requiring
several attempts before a satisfactory outline can be pro-
duced.

The short diagnoses usually given are purposely omitted,

162 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [6]

their place being sufficiently supplied by the first few lines
of the descriptions, which deal with the general form, color
and other similar characters, in conjunction with the gen-
eral remarks usually appended in large type. In general
monographic memoirs they are quite unnecessary, and
merely consume space which might better be occupied by
descriptive matter, because in such monographs or revis-
ions, the key-tables, which should always be given, amply
serve the purpose for which the diagnoses are intended.

It will be observed that the descriptions refer in all cases
to the single specimen assumed as the type. The diversity
of opinion as to the proper definition of a genus or the
structural differences warranting the generic isolation of
special groups, holds with almost equal force in regard to
the ideas attached to the species which compose them.
Forms which some coleopterists would regard as specific,
are held by others to be simply racial, and by others again
as merely accidental variations not even worthy of a name.
This divergence of opinion must necessarily exist until our
knowledge becomes more extensive, and until an approxi-
mately complete series of specimens of all species can be
obtained from every region of the globe. I have preferred,
therefore, in the existing state of knowledge, to describe
one definite type and give such general remarks as may in-
dicate the variation exhibited by the material at hand; addi-
tional series may alter our conception of the species to a
considerable degree, but having a single typical description,
we possess something tangible upon which to base the sub-
divisions into races or definite varieties, as may be deter-
mined by such representatives. In other words, it would
produce more confusion than benefit to attempt to give a
general description based upon material which must inevi-
tably be incomplete.

It will also be noticed that the English language is alone
employed in descriptions and diagnostic tables. My rea-
sons for this course are, first, because I believe that the

[7] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 163

time necessarily employed in learning to write the Latin lan-
guage with fluency, in such manner as to be entirely certain
that oar ideas are being properly expressed — and it is use-
less to attempt it without such knowledge — might be better
occupied in a study of the technicalities of the science, es-
pecially in view of the fact that there is probably no man of
even moderate education possessing a good knowledge of
Latin, who cannot at least understand descriptions drawn
up in the three languages — French, German or English.
Again, supposing a student to be ignorant of the indispensa-
ble triad of modern languages, it is easily seen that the
amount of information concerning a species which he can
obtain from the short three or four lines written in Latin
and forming the diagnosis, is simply tantalizing. Either the
entire description with all appended remarks should be
written in Latin, as in the Staphylinidse of Erichson or the
Tomicini of Eichhoff, or else the student must perforce have
a knowledge of these languages in order to read the descrip-
tion of the species, otherwise the most important part, as
far as identification is concerned, or that relating to the de-
tails, is entirely lost to him. Without wishing to be consid-
ered unduly ic moclastic, it must be candidly confessed that
the necessity for the latinization of the few lines usually be-
ginning a description is not readily appreciable.

When used with a moderate amount of care, the French
and English languages are very perspicuous and eminently
adapted to concise scientific expression. The spirit of these
languages demands simplicity and conciseness, and they are,
in addition, peculiarly fitted for technical descriptions be-
cause of their power of absorbing words derived directly
from the Latin and Greek. In regard to ambiguity, there
are few who can maintain that they possess this undesirable
quality to a greater degree than the Latin, and we may go
so far as to say that they are far less ambiguous than a large
proportion of the ordinary entomological Latin of the present
day. The majority of our working coleopterists are com-

164 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [8]

pelled to engage in active pursuits, either professional or
commercial, which demand a knowledge of the three lan-
guages mentioned, and, if after acquiring them, these can
also serve them in the scientific recreations of their leisure
moments, thus rendering unnecessary the acquisition of a
special language for such purposes, it appears to the writer
that we have gained one very important point, since just so
much time and labor may be saved for useful scientific work.
Physicists, mathematicians, astronomers, and zoologists in
fields other than entomological, have long since abandoned
the Latin as a medium of publication. The leading mathe-
matical and astronomical journals employ the modern lan-
guages exclusively, and, although they appeal to a much
more extensive class of readers than do the entomological
journals, it has not been found that anything has been lost
by the change, but on the contrary, as they at present reach
a larger number of readers, such a course has tended to
more widely diffuse scientific knowledge, and to create a
more universal desire for its advancement.

This subject is, however, a somewhat delicate one, and
merits further consideration and argument.

The binocular microscope, with objectives of from two-
thirds to two inches focal length, is inevitably destined to
supplant the hand-lens in the future study of entomology,
its advantages being perfect steadiness of the object, suffi-
cient magnifying power to bring all the organs prominently
into view, and the healthful and unconstrained use of both
eyes, giving a stereoscopic effect; at the same time both
hands remain free for writing or drawing. To one accus-
tomed to this mode of studying insects under ten mm. in
length, an adherence to the usual method of research by
means of the hand-lens, where the eye is unnaturally
strained, and the images consequently apt to be distorted
and to convey a wrong impression, seems entirely unac-
countable. A long list of errors in describing sculpture
and formation of various parts of the body, owing to insuf-

[9] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 165

ficient magnifying power and other unsatisfactory conditions,
could easily be given, and in this connection it must be borne
in mind that it requires much more amplification and acute-
ness of sight and perception to discover a character or the
structural nature of an object than it does to see the same
after it has once been described. I allude to the use of the
microscope rather for original research than for cursory
observation and comparison, as these objects can be much
more conveniently attained with a good hand-lens.

As greater attention is being given to exactness and per-
spicuity in describing the characteristics of species, a
general catalogue of terms to be employed for the almost
infinite variety of sculpture, punctuation, lustre, pubes-
cence, form and color, should be compiled, each modifica-
tion being illustrated by reference to a particular species
wherein it is preeminent; the colors should be indicated on
a lithographic plate. Such a catalogue as this would con-
duce greatly to uniformity in description, and therefore to
ease of identification of species; it should be undertaken by
a special congress of entomologists, or by some one of the
large European societies, and would be of great value in
systematizing the science.

In conclusion, the author begs the indulgence of coleop-
terists for errors, past, present and future. Having en-
tered upon the detailed study of our smaller Coleoptera, he
finds himself forced to rely in great measure upon the libra-
ry, which, although undoubtedly a most trustworthy and
unbiased guide, is still more or less unsatisfactory because
of the insufficient and often erroneous descriptions of our
earlier authors. Under such circumstances errors are un-
avoidable, and he trusts they may be overlooked to some
extent, upon the assurance that his utmost endeavors have
and will be employed in seeking the truth regardless of all
other considerations.
Sax Francisco, October 11, 1886.

JOG

CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

[10]

The following is a list of the genera and species here
described or brought to notice : —

Hvdrophilid.1;.
Liniuocbaris picea Horn.

polita.

angnstula.

alutacea.

congener.

coniciventris.

Silphid.*:.
Silpha renescens.

PSELAPHIDJE.

Batrisus mendocino.
zepbyrinus.
speculum,
ruonticola.
occidvun.
Bryaxis texana.
iurinita.
Nisa n. gen
Reicbenbacbia tumorosa.

tutnidicornis
in form is.
gracilicornis.
nevadensis.
fundata.
irauciscana.
Nisaxis n. gen.
Sonoma n. gen.
Oropus striatus Lee n. gen.
convexus.
interruptus.
abbreviatus.
Actium n. gen.

Staphylinid-e.
Lomecbusa montaua.
Tacbyusa crebrepunctata.
Autalia elegans.
Eumitocerus tarsalis n. gen.
Heterotbops exilis.

Ababactus pallidiceps.
Lena testacea n. gen.
Ramoua capitulum n. g^n.
Leptogenius brevicornis n gen.
Scopaeus rotundiceps.
truncaticeps.
Scopasodera nitida Lee. n. geu.
Leptorus texanus n. gen.
bicolor.
versicolor,
lougiceps.
Orus parallelus.
Apocellus niger.
Pbkcopterus fibcornis.
Ampbicbroum flavicorne.
alutaceum.
p'l isellum.
veterator.
crassicorne.
Pelec imabuni binotatum n. gen.

modestum.
LatbrimaBum bumerale.
Orobanus rufipes.
densus.

Trichopterygix>;e.

Actidium rotundicolle.
Ptilium sulcatum.
Smicrus americauus.

Byrrhims.

Ditapbrus scymnoides n. gen.

Tenebrioxidje.
Eleat s occidentalis n. gen.

Curculioxids:.
Barinus squamolineatus n. gen.

SCOLYTIDJE.

Renocis beterodoxus n. geu.

[11] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 167

LIMNOCHARIS Horn.

The species of this genus are probably numerous in North
America, although but two have been described; I now add
several other peculiar forms. The genus is apparently valid,
since in all the numerous specimens which I have examined,
there are clearly eight ventral segments, the eighth being
small and more or less retractile, so that, while in the type
of angustula it is nearly as long as the seventh and very con-
spicuous, it may sometimes be almost entirely withdrawn;
it is never entirely invisible, however. The labrum also
differs greatly from that of Limnebius as described by La-
cordaire, for in Limnocharis it is not broadly rounded, but
is deeply sinuate in the middle. The antenna? have, as
stated of Limnebius by Du Val, nine joints, the first two
subanchylosed so as to form a long slender scape.

The mentum instead of being strongly rounded, approaches
in Limnocharis more nearly the trapezoidal form, and in
the very singular L. con iciventris described below, it is almost
perfectly trapezoidal, being transversely truncate at apex.

The eighth segment of the abdomen does not bear a tuft
of hair, but has one or two terminal setae, perhaps according
to the sex.

The species of the genus at present known from the United
States are as follows: —

Sides of the elytra distinctly a-cu ite.
Surface more or less polished.

Prothorax very strongly transverse, at apex nearly twice as wide as

loug picea.

Prothoi-ax less strongly transverse, at apex less than one-half wider than
loug.

Apical angles of elytra narrowly but distinctly rounded polita.

Apical angles not rounded angustula.

Entire surface more or less alutaceous.

Elytra at base slightly narrower than the prothorax; surface strongly

alutaceous alutacea.

Elytra at base equal in width to the prothorax; surface feebly aluta-
ceous; scutellum larger congener.

Sides of elytra strongly convergent, almost perfectly straight., coniciventris.

168 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [12]

L. picea Horn. — Trans. Am. Ent. Soc, 1872, p. 144— A specimen before
me from Gilroy, Santa Clara Co., appears to satisfy the description given by
Dr. Horn for this species; it is, however, rather smaller and the pro thorax
appears to be slightly less strongly transverse than shown in the figure and
described in the text; it is two-thirds wider thin long at apex and nearly
two and one-half times as wide as long at base.

L. polita n. sp. — Narrowly oval, strongly convex; black; legs and palpi
dark piceo-testaceous; upper surface polished, with l-ather long, recumbent,
very fine and sparse pubescence; uuder surface black, rather densely pubes-
cent. Head one-half wider than long, feebly convex, very feebly reticulate,
excessively minutely and rather sparsely punctate; epistomal suture trans-
verse, we 1 marked; last joint of maxillary palpi darker in color. Prothorax
at apex just visibly wider than the head, at apex broadly and very feebly
emarginate, two-fifths wider than long; base two and one-third times wider
than the median length, transversely truncate, broadly and very feebly sin-
uate on each side of the scutellum, and very feebly and anteriorly oblique at
the sides; sides feebly and evenly arcuate; disk evenly convex, very feebly
reticulate, very minutely, s-parsely punctate, with a transverse row of dense
punctuation at the apex on each side. Scutellum distinctly wider than long,
sidts feebly arcuate. Elytra at base equal in width to the prothorax; sid< s
strongly convergent aud rather strongly and evenly arcuate to the apex,
which conjointly is not truncate, but rather acutely rounded; each elytron at
apex rather acute aud very distinctly rounded; disk strongly convex, scarcely
two and one-half times as long as the prothorax, finely and very distinctly
reticulate, more finely and densely so than the pronotum, not visibly punc-
tate. Legs rather slender. Eighth segment with two apical setae. Length
1.4 mm.

California; (San Francisco). Several specimens.
May be distinguished by its blackness, polished integu-
ments and elytral structure.

L. angUStllla u- sp. — Narrowly oval, strongly convex, piceous-bl >ck; legs
and palpi dark piceous-brown; pubescence very fine, not dense; integuments
shining. Head one-half wider than long, feebly convex, not visibly reticu-
late, very minutely aud sparsely punctate; epistomal suture very feebly ar-
cuate toward the eyes; last joint of maxillary palpi scare ly at all darker in
color. Prothorax at apex not wider than the head, broadly, very feebly sin-
uate, two-fifths wider than long; base transversely truncate, almost perfectly
straight, two and one-fourth times as wide as the median length; sides feebly
and evenly arcuate; disk not visibly reticulate, excessively minute ly, sparsely
punctate, with a feeble row of larger and denser punctiform subasperate ero-
sions on each side behind the apical margin, and, near the basal margin, two
small impressed punctures distant by s-lightly more than the width of the

[13]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 169'

scutelham. Scutelhira very slightly wider than long Elytra at base as wide
as the pro thorax; sides strongly convergent to the apex, evenly and rather
feebly arcuate; apex feebly subtruncate, together rounded, each aDgle nearly
right and scarcely at all rounded; disk slightly less than one-half longer than
wide, two and one-third times as long as the prothorax, strongly convex,
finely, feebly reticulate, not visibly punctate. Eighth ventral segment large,
having two apical seta?; sixth broad y emargiuate. Length 1.3 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

This species, as may be inferred from the description, is
very closely allied to polita, but is well distinguished by the
form of the elytral apices; in addition the reticulations of
the elytra are finer and stronger in polita, and the punc-
tuation of the pronotum is less evident in angustula. It may
be considered unwarrantable to trust to the conformation of
the elytral apices for specific characters in the Hydrophili-
dre, but in the present instance there is much more proba-
bility of both the typical representations being of the same
sex, than that they are not, for the eighth segment in each
is large and very distinct and is provided in each with two
equal apical seta3. Angustula is a narrower and slightly
more convex species than polita, and has the prothorax
slightly less strongly transverse.

All the species of the present genus have the two basal
punctures and the two apical rows of asperities; the prono-
tum is, in addition, always very finely margined along the
apex and sides, but not along the base, the latter being ab-
ruptly convex and narrowly declivous to the plane of the
elytra.

L. alutacea n. sp. — Suboblong, moderately robust, not strongly convex,
black, piceous by diaphaneity; legs dark piceo-testaceous; palpi and antennas
slightly paler; pubescence extremely fine, recumbent, not dense above; in-
teguments alutaceous, elytra scarcely more strongly so than the pronotum.
Head scarcely one half wider than long, feebly convex, finely reticulate, very
minutely, sparsely punctate; epistomal suture transverse and very feeb'e in
the middle, oblique and almost completely obliterated at the sides; epistoma
with a small discal puncture near each apical angle. Prothorax at apex
slightly wider than the head, broadly, moderately and trapezoidally emargi-
nate, two-fifths wider than long; at base transversely truncate, broadly and

170 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [14]

very feebly sinuate at each side, two and one-third times as wide as long;
sides evenly and feebly arcuate; basal angles from above narrowly rounded;
disk very broadly couvex, finely reticulate and subgranulose; punctures ex-
cessively minute, rather sparse and scarcely \isible. Scutellum very small,
twice as wide as long, parabolicully rounded behind throughout. Elytra at
base slightly, but distinctly narrower than the prothorax; sides not strongly
convergent, evenly and moderately arcuate to the apex, which, conjointly is
obtusely and evenly rounded, not at all truncate; inner angles narrowly but
distinctly rounded; disk two-fifth3 longer than wide, two and one-half times
as long as the pronotum, moderately convex, reticulate and subgranulose
like the pronotum, excessively minutely and scarcely visibly punctate.
Eighth segment having a long, robust apical style, with one or two short ro-
bust spinules on eithtr side. Leugth 1.6 mm.

California; (Mendocino Go. 1).

Easily distinguished by its wider prothorax and distinctly
alutaceous surface sculpture. The maxillary palpi are dis-
tinctly more slender than in the following species:

L. congener m sp. — Narrowly oval, rather convex, black; legs piceons;
pubescence fine, sparse; integuments shining, very feebly subalutaceous.
Head feebly convex, finely, evenly and distinctly punctate; epistomal suture
transverse, distinct, slightly arcuate and very fine near the eyes. Prothorax
at apex just visibly wider than the head; proportions nearly as in alutacea;
sides evenly and more feebly arcuate; apex more feebly and arcuately emar-
ginate; di.-k broadly convex, finely, densely reticulate; finely, evenly and
distinctly punctate. Scutellum triangular, apex not rounded, three-fourths
wider than long. Elytra at base fully as wide as the prothorax; sides col-
vergent, evenly and not strongly arcuate to the apex, which, conjointly is
obtusely and evenly rounded, not at all truncate; inner angles very narrowly
rounded; disk nearly two and one-half times as long as the prothorax, mod-
erately convex, more finely and densely reticulate than the pronotum, not
perceptibly punctate. Eighth segment with a long anal style and two short
spinules on each side. Length 1.6 mm.

California; (Mendocino and Humboldt Cos.). Several
specimens.

This species is closely allied! to alutacea, but differs in its
more evenly oval and narrower form, its relatively narrower
prothorax, much more shining surface, stronger and more
evident pronotal punctuation, shorter, more robust maxillary
palpi, and particularly in the form of the scutellum. The
two discal punctures of the epistoma are slightly stronger,

[15]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 171

and the transverse epistomal suture is less obsolete than in
alutacea. The sides of the prothorax are very distinctly less
strongly arcuate in congener.

L. COniciventris n- sp. — Oval, attenuated behind, piceo-testaceous,
paler beneath; legs pale brownish-flavate; pubescence extremely fine and
sparse; integuments polished. Head not one-half -wider than long, feebly
convex, scarcely perceptibly reticulate, excessively minutely, feebly and
not distinctly punctate; epistomal suture almost completely obsolete. Pro-
thorax at apex about equal in width to the head, broadly, feebly, arcuately
sinuate, fully one-half wider than long; at base broadly truncate, very
feebly sinuate on each side of the scutellum, nearly two and one-half times
as wide as long; sides evenly and distinctly arcuate; disk broadly convex,
polished, scarcely perceptibly reticulate, excessively minutely, feebly punc-
late; punctures somewhat irregularly disposed, very sparse. Scutellum
very small, more than twice as wide as long, triangular. Elytra at base
scarcely as wide as the prothorax; sides strongly convergent, nearly straight
to the apex, which conjointly is abruptly and transversely truncate, one-half
as wide as the elytral base; outer angles rounded, inner very narrowly so;
disk rather strongly, conically convex, smooth; coarsely, very finely retic-
ulate, not perceptibly punctate; one-third longer than wide, two and one-
half times as long as the prothorax. Seventh segment broad, broadly
rounded behind; eighth having two equal apical set;e. Posterior femora
very strongly compressed. Length 1.0 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

The labrum is more continuous in curvature with the
epistoma, and is consequently more prominent from above
than in the other species; it appears from above to be
transversely subtruncate or very broadly rounded, but when
viewed in prolongation of the axis of the insect it is seen to
have the lower edge rather abruptly deflexed, and broadly,
rather feebly sinuate.

The general outline of this species is very different from
that prevailing in the genus, but it appears to possess all
the generic characters of Limnocharis. It is decidedly the
smallest species described.

SILPHA Linn.

S. JBnescens u. sp. — Form rather depressed, elongate, oval, black; upper
surface with a bright aeneous lustre; legs and antennas black throughout;
shining; pubescence in the form of an excessively minute and almost invis-

172 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [16]

ible short set i from each puncture. Head rather small, constricted behind
the eyes; front feebly convex, finely and rather densely punctate, n.ore
closely so near the eyes, and *nuch more sparsely and finely so near the
apes and on the labrum; the latter very deeply and rather narrowly sinuate
at apex; eyes moderate, slightly prominent, much shorter than wide, verti-
cally oval; antennae slender, as long as the pronotum, first joiut as loug as
the next two together, second much longer than the third, last four joints
forming a rather narrow, elongate, perfoliate club, the last three joints of
which are rendered opaque by an excessively fine and dense pubesceuce,
eleventh slightly long r than wide, flattened, evenly and broadly rounded at
tip. Prothorax widest at the base, where it is generally slightly more than
one-half wider than long; sides strongly convergent thence to the apex,
broadly, evenly and distinctly arcua'e; apex broadly and feebly incurvate,
one-half as wide as the base; the latter broadly truncate in the middle and
thence slightly oblique and very feebly sinuate to the basal angles; the
latter slightly obtuse, narrowly rounded; disk broadly aud rather feebly
convex, more strongly so in the middle anteriorly, narrowly and obso-
letely impressed along the middle, and more broadly aud obliquely near
eayh basal angle; sides narrowly and gradually subexplanate, narrowly
margined with an elevated border; surface finely and very densely punc-
tate; punctures round, deep, sometimes with a few smaller ones intermin-
gled. Scutellum very densely punctate; pubesceuce longer and more
dense. Elytra at base about as wide as the prothorax; sides parallel and
nearly straight, rather abruptly and bioadly rounded behind, slightly trun-
cate in the males; disk one-third longer than wide, more than twice as long
as the prothorax, trausversely and moderately convex, narrowly aud ab-
ruptly reflexed at the side*; each with three longitudinal, feebly-elevated
costse, with numerous intermediate and subtransverse elevations; depressed
areas rather coarsely and not very densely punctate, interspaces finely and
strongly granulose. Legs moderate in length, slender; first joiut of the pos-
terior tarsi fully as long as the fifth, aud as long as the next three together.
Length 11.0-13.0 mm.

California; (San Francisco).

The sexual characters are as follows: —

3Iale — Last ventral segment transversely truncate at apex,
edge almost perfectly straight; anterior tarsi very feebly
dilated, middle not at all dilated, very slender.

Female — Last ventral segment narrowly and strongly
rounded behind, immediate apex narrowly truncate or sub-
sinuate; tarsi all narrow and slender.

This species resembles ramosa Say, but differs in its

[17] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 173

aeneous lustre, much coarser elytral sculpture, and in the
sexual characters; both the anterior and middle tarsi of the
male in ramosa are strongly dilated. All the many speci-
mens which I have seen are aeneous above, and this appears
to be a very persistent character. The form is mentioned
by Mannerheim (Bull. Mosc. 1843, No. 2, p. 252) as Silpha
cervaria, Var. b. It is also mentioned by Dr. Horn (Tr.
Am. Ent. Soc. VIII, p. 241) as one of the variations of S.
ramosa Say.

S. cervaria Mann. — This is apparently a valid species,
being represented in my cabinet by two specimens of un-
mistakably more broadly oval outline than ramosa; the
dorsal surface also exhibits very decided differences in
sculpture.

BATRISUS Aube.

Although this large and important genus is in a state of
comparative confusion, it is believed that the description
of the following forms is warrantable, since no species have
yet been described from California, and the possibility of
increasing our synonymy is, therefore, very slight. It is
true that B. albionicus Aube has been ascribed to California,
but as the locality is not mentioned by Aube in either of his
descriptions, this would appear to be more or less doubtful;
at any rate it is easily distinguishable from any of the spe-
cies here described.

The following species all belong to the group having tri-
sulcate and bituberculate pronotum, although in one or two
forms the median channel becomes almost or quite obsolete;
they also agree throughout in having a terminal process at
the apex of the posterior tibiae, and in the similarity of the
sexual characters. The latter are well marked, and are as
follows: —

Male. — Abdomen more or less deeply impressed near the apex; terminal
process of posterior tibiae short aud nearly straight; intermediate trochanters
13— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. G. Issued November 27, 1880.

174 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [18]

dentate or prominent externally at apex; teuth auteuual joint finely tuber-
culate, eleventh with a short, erect arcuate process at base, both projecting
internally.

Female. — Abdomen, trochanters aud antennae normal; terminal process of
posterior tibiae long, slender and contorted. Body smaller, more slender.

The fimicle of the antenna is remarkably constant in
structure throughout the series, but the last four joints differ
in shape and relative size.

In this group the head is not materially modified in the
male, so that it differs greatly from a large and important
group of eastern species. From a direct comparison with
B. formicarius Aube, the type of Batrisus, it is probable that
these species should be separated as a subgenus; this has
apparently been already done by Eeitter under the name
Batrisodes.

The type of the European Batrisus is found, as its name
implies, with ants; the Calif ornian species are never found
in such localities, but are to be met with only in wet moss
or under stones near water-courses; although widely diffused,
they are scarely ever abundant, and are generally extremely
rare.

B. mendocino n. sp. — Moderately robust, convex, dark brownish-rufous;
legs same; abdomen and antennae darker, castaueous, the latter pale toward
apex; integuments 2Jolished; pubescence coarse, rather long, suberect, rather
sparse. Head moderate, scarcely as wide as long; eyes rather small, very
convex, prominent, at more th in their own length from the base ; sides behind
them strongly convergent aud arcuate to the neck, which is slightly less than
one-half as wide as the width at the eyes, very feebly sinuate; surface impunc-
tate, slightly convex; on a line through the posterior limits of the eyes there
are two distinct, deeply impressed fovea?, apparently nude, connected by a
deeply impressed, strongly and evenly arcuate channel; antennal tubercula-
tions broad and prominent; antennae rather slender, distinctly longer than
the head aud prothorax together, club slender; basal j lint rather robust,
scarcely longer than wide, apex deeply notched posteriorly for the reception
of the second joint when flexed; joints two to five equal, slightly longer than
wide, sixth and seventh equal, slightly smaller, longer than wide, eighth as
wide as the seventh, rounded, as wide as long, eighth to eleventh gradually
wider, ninth and tenth equal in length, the latter much more strongly trans-
verse, eleventh elougate, conoidal, pointed. Prothorax widest at two-fifths
the length from the apex, where it is as wide as the head, slightly wider than

[19]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 175

long; sides strongly rounded, thence convergent and deeply sinuate to the
base which is broadly arcuate, nearly three-fourths as wide as the disk and
oue-third wider than the apex; the latter transversely truncate; basal angles
slightly obtuse, not rounded; disk very feebly and sparsely punctate, broadly,
strongly convex, having in the middle near the base a very deep, nude fovea,
continued anteriorly to within two-fifths the length of the apex by a narrow,
not deeply impressed channel; on each side and slightly in advance of the
fovea, a rather large, obtusely pointed tubercle; also near each basal angle a
large, deep, irregular, nude fove.i, continued anteriorly by a very broadly
and feebly impressed arcuate channel, and connected with th^ median fovea
by a narrow, extremely feeble, transverse line. Elytra at base equal in width
to the base of the pronotum, at apex two and one-third times as wide; sides
evenly, rather strongly arcuate; together transversely truncate behind, nearly
as long as wide; disk evenly, moderately convex, very minutely, sparsely,
feebly punctate; sutural striaa approximate, distinct; discal very broadly
impressed, becoming extinct at one-third the length from the base. Abdomen
as wide as and slightly longer than the elytra, convex, very minutely, sparsely
punctate. Legs long, slender; femora rather abruptly swollen before the tip.
Length 2.1 mm.

California; (Anderson Val., Mendocino Co. 1.)
The male, lias near the apex of the abdomen beneath, a
large, very deeply-impressed fovea, wider than long, with
the anterior edge broadly and roundly sinuate in the middle.
There are two small, deeply-impressed fovese near the basal
margin of the pronotum on each side, the outer being at the
basal angles as seen from above.

B. zephyrinilS u. sp. — Moderately robust, very convex, rufous; elytra
brighter; abdomen slightly darker; legs and antenna; darker, rufous; the lat-
ter pale at apex; integuments highly polished; pubescence coarse, sparse.
Head about as wide as long; eyes rather small, prominent; sides behind them
strongly convergent and very feebly arcuate to the neck; the latter broadly
sinuate, much less th. in one-half as wide as the width at the eyes; on a Line
through the middle of the eyes two small, nude, very deeply, longitudinally
impressed fovea?, connected by a strongly arcuate groove, the sides of which
are parallel in the basal half of its length; antennal tuberculations prom-
inent, coarsely punctate; antenna; long, slender, much longer than the head
and prothorax together; basal joint moderately robust, subcylindrical, longer
than wide, eleventh joint robust, conoidal, very obliquely pointed. Pro-
thorax widest at two-fifths the length from the apex where it is fully as long
as wide, as wide as the head; sides strongly arcuate, thence convergent and
distinctly sinuate to the base; the latter broadly arcuate, three-fourths as
wide as the disk, one-fourth wider than the apex; the latter transversely
truncate; disk strongly convex, finely, sparsely, feebly punctate; near the

176 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [20]

base a very deep, rounded, nude median fovea, continued anteriorly by a
narrow, feebly impressed groove to within one-third the length of the apex;
slightly iu advance of the fovea, nearly midway between it and each side, a
rather acute tubercle; between the latter and the edge a moderate, irregular,
deeply impressed fovea, connected with the median by a feebly impressed,
anteriorly arcuate line, and each continued anteriorly by an outwardly ar-
cuate, distinct, impressed channel; also at the base near each basal angle,
two small, deeply impressed foveas. Elytra very minutely, sparsely punctate,
convex; discal stria in the form of a broad impression, becoming extinct at
one-third the length from theba.e; humeri longitudinally slightly prominent;
each elytron with three fovea; at base. Abdomen very finely, sparsely punc-
tate; basal segment with two short, approximate, parallel carinas at base.
Legs long, slender. Length 2.2 mm.

Nevada; (Keno, "Washoe Co., 1).

This species is closely allied to mendocino and agrees with
it in the form of the elytra, abdomen and legs, and nearly
so in the antenna?; it, however, differs in the form of the
head and prothorax, the lateral channels of the latter being
more broadly arcnate in the present species. The basal
segment of the abdomen in mendocino has two very short
rudimentary carinas not one-half as long as in zephyrimis,
and the sexual characters differ; in the present species the
abdomen has on the under surface, near the apex, a large
deeply impressed fovea, as wide as long, which is emargi-
nate anteriorly, the notch being in the form of a very broad
cusp.

B. speculum u- sp. — Rather slender, convex, very dark" rufo-piceous;
legs and antenna; paler, dark rufous, the latter paler at apex; abdomen pi-
ceous-black; integuments highly polished; pubescence rather coarse, sub-
erect, sparse. Head slightly longer than wide; eyes small; sides strongly
convergent, distinctly arcuate to the neck; the latter much less than one-
half as wide as the width at the eyes; surface feebly convex, impunctate;
autennal tuberculations not punctate; antennas long, slender, longer than
the head and prothorax together; eighth joint slightly longer than wide,
ninth and tenth equal in length, rounded, the former nearly as long as
wide, the latter very slightly wider than long, eleventh wider than the tenth,
no: as long a* the three preceding together, conoidal at base, very obliquely
pointed. Prothorax widest at slightly more than one-third the length from
the apex, where it is as wide as the head, very slightly longer than wide;
sides feebly sinuate posteriorly to the base, which is three-fourths as wide

[21]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 177

as the disk and one-fourth wider than the apex; disk strongly convex,
scarce!}' punctate; basal fovea large, deeply impressed, rounded; median
channel very feeble, evauescent near the fovea, extending scarcely beyond
the middle of the disk; lateral fovea? moderate in size, not very deeply im-
pressed, extended auteriorly in the usual arcuate groove, and connected with
the median by a fine line: immediately behiud the middle of the latter,
acutely, feebly elevated or subtuberculate; between the median fovea and
base a fine elevated carina; on each side, at the base, two small, deeply im-
pressed fovea?. Elytra and abdomen nearly as in the preceding species; the
former finely and sparsely punctate, the first visible dorsal segment of the
latter with two small, short basal carina?. Legs slender. Length 1.9 mm.

California; (Alameda Co. 1).

This species agrees in general structure of the head and
prothorax with the preceding species, but may be distin-
guished from both by its much darker color and structure
of the antennal club; from meiidocino it differs in its much
more elongate prothorax and longer basal carinas of the
first abdominal segment; from zephyrinus in its shorter
basal abdominal carinas and smaller size, and from both in
the much more feeble median channel of the pronotum.
The basal carina of the pronotum is common to all these
species.

The above description is taken, unfortunately, from the
female, but the species is so distinct that there can be very
little doubt of its future identification, its small size, slen-
der form, dark color, narrow ninth and tenth antennal joints
and especially the very feeble median channel being its
distinctive characters.

B. monticola n. sp. — Rather robust, convex, intense black throughout;
legs very dark rufo-piceous; antenna? fuscous, very slightly paler, rufous at
apex; integuments polished; pubescence coarse, pale, suberect, not very
dense. Head moderate, scarcely as wide as long; eyes moderate in size, very
convex, rather finely granulate, just behiud the middle; sides behiud them
very strongly convergent and feebly arcuate to the neck; surface feebly con-
vex, impunctate; occipital fovea? longitudinally elongate, deeply impressed,
on a line through the posterior portion of the eyes, connected by a very
strongly arcuate impressed groove; antennal tuberculations large, very
coarsely and feebly punctate; antenna? robust, scarcely longer than the head
and prothorax together, club rather robust; ninth joint slightly wider than

178 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [22]

long, tenth scarcely as long as the ninth, strongly transverse, obliquely trun-
cate throughout its width at apex, eleventh as long as the three preceding
together, very slightly wider than the tenth, ovoidal at base, much more con-
vex exteriorly than within, obliquely attenuate and obtusely pointed. Pro-
thorax widest at two-fifths its length from the apex, where it is fully as long
as wide, as wide as the head; sides very strongly rounded, thence convergent
and rather strongly incurvate to the base which is transversely, very feebly
arcuate, but slightly more than two-thirds as wide as the disk, one-third
wider than the apex; disk strongly convex, very finely, feebly aud sparsely
punctate; median fovea rather large, rounded, very deep; lateral smaller,
continued anteriorly by parallel, arcuate, broadly impressed grooves, con-
nected with the median by anteriorly arcuate and scarcely visible grooves
just before the basal tuberculations, which are but slightly elevated, more
abrupt anteriorly than posteriorly; lateral basal fovea? rather distant from the
basal margin; median carina strong. Elytra at base very slightly wider than
the base of the pronotum, nearly as long as wide, strongly, evenly convex;
very minutely, feebly and sparsely punctate; sutnral strife fine, deeply im-
pressed; discal broadly impressed, short, feeble. Abdomen shorter and very
slightly narrower than the elytra, convex, extremely minutely, sparsely
punctate; first segment with two short, approximate, parallel carina? at base.
Legs long, somewhat robust; posterior tibia? distinctly bent; tarsi much
paler in color. Length 2.2 mm.

California; (El Dorado Co., 1).

The male has at the apex of the venter, a large, very ab-
rubt, deeply impressed fovea, slightly wider than deep, the
anterior edge of which is almost entire and transversely
truncate.

This species can easily be distinguished from any other
here noted by its intense blackness, shorter antennae, ab-
sence of median pronotal groove, and form of the sexual
fovea.

The species thus far described have two basal carinas on
the first visible dorsal segment of the abdomen; the follow-
ing has no basal carinas, and the elytra are much shorter.

B. OCCiduilS n. sp. —Rather slender, strongly convex; body very uniform
in color throughout, dark brownish-rufous; legs slightly paler, rufous; an-
tenna? fuscous, very slightly paler at tip; integuments very highly polished;
pubescence coarse, pale, very sparse. Head moderate, as wide as long; eyes
small, prominent; sides behind them very strongly convergent, strongly
arcuate to the neck, which is transversely trancate, two-fifths as wide as the

[23]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 179

width at the eyes; surface broadly couvex, impunctate; occipital fovere
rather lurge, very deep, but slightly elongate, joined by the usual strongly
arcuate, impressed groove; antenual tuberculations rather prominent, with a
few small, widely scattered punctures; antennas slender, slightly longer than
the head and pi othorax together, club rather strong, rapidly increasing in
width from the ninth joint which is slightly wider than long, tenth strongly
transverse, much wider than the ninth, slightly obliquely truncate at the
apex, eleventh twice as wide as the ninth, truncate at base, ovoidal. ob-
liquely acuminate, rather acutely pointed, as long as the three preceding
together. Prothorax nearly as in monticola; sides less acutely rounded
before the middle, slightly less strongly narrowed toward base; apex slightly
broader; basal tubercles more symmetrically pointed and more prominent;
median groove narrow, rather deeply impressed, continuing from the basal
fovea nearly to the apicd margin. Elytra at base as wide as the base of the
prouotum, at apex more than twire as wide; sides evenly, very strongly
arcuate; disk strongly convex, distinctly wider than long, rather coarsely,
very sparsely and feebly punctate; sutural strife deeply impressed, nearly
straight; discal very short, very broadly and rouudly impressed, gradually
evanescent at a little more than one-third the length from the base. Abdo-
men as wide as and much longer than the elytra, convex; first visible seg-
ment with three large equidistant, densely-pubescent foveas along the basal
margin; carime completely obsolete. Legs rather long, very slender; fem-
ora rather abruptly, strongly swollen beyond the middle; posterior tibiae
scaicely .perceptibly bent. Length 1.9-2.1 mm.

California; (Humboldt Co. 4).

Described from the male, in which the apical fovea is
large, slightly wider than long and rather feebly impressed;
the anterior edge is truncate and very broadly, feebly sinu-
ate toward the middle. In the female the elytra are slightly
shorter.

Easily recognizable by the very long, well marked, me-
dian pronotal sulcation, by the short elytra, and absence of
basal carime.

Bryaxis.

This genus, in the broad sense indicated by LeConte,
(Tr. Am. Ent. Soc. VIII. p. 181), contains a rather hetero-
geneous assemblage of species, although the various groups
are clearly indicated. It will be noticed that there are two
classes of fove;e upon which the subdivisions are based —

180 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [24]

those of the head and pronotum respectively, the former being
made to serve in subdividing the genus Keichenbachia. It
will be well to consider these sets of fovea? in order.

During a recent collecting tour in Texas, I secured a large
series of a uniformly flavo-ferruginous species of Reich-
enbachia, belonging to the group in *vhich the male and
female antenna? are different in structure. These specimens
were all taken in a very limited area, and are without the
least doubt of a single species. The males have the fifth
and sixth joints of the antenna? elongate and swollen; upon
the occipital portion of the head there are two small, widely
distant, spongiose fovea?, but the apical fovea is completely
wanting. The females also have the same joints of the
antenna? elongate and slightly dilated; the head has the
occipital fovea? exactly similar in size and position to those
of the male, and in addition a third apical fovea, similar to
the others and equally pronounced. The male above noted
was described by Dr. LeConte as tumida; whether the
female has been described as a trifoveate species is a ques-
tion requiring further investigation.

It is seen, therefore, that the presence or absenpe of the
apical fovea may sometimes be a sexual character, at least
in a certain class of species of which one is B. tumida, and
it is consequently of very little moment in a generic class-
ification, although the occipital fovea? appear to hold a
very different position, and are evidently of more distinct
value.

The pronotal fovea? are very important from a generic
point of view, since they indicate great and radical differ-
ences, which extend throughout the body, and are evinced
by peculiar manifestations of sexual identit}^. For in-
stance, restricting ourselves for the present simply to the
American fauna, — those species having three small, equal,
punctiform fovea?, are the only ones which are subject to a
very decided sexual modification of the antennal club.
Those having three large, subequal, spongiose fovea? are,

[25] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 181

amongst those having occipital fovea?, the only ones exhib-
iting sexual modification of the dorsal surface of the abdo-
men; while those which have two large spongiose lateral
foveas and a minute nude median puncture are the only
ones which possess a sexual modification of the middle
joints of the antenna?, although there are many species which
have the antenna? similar, as there are several in the pre-
ceding section which have the abdomen similar, in the two
sexes.

Again, those having three nude pronotal fovea? which are
unequal, are distinguished by a complete absence of occip-
ital fovea?, and, considering the sexual modifications appar-
ent in other portions of the group accompanying such
decided differences in the fovea?, we might be led to expect
a peculiarity here also.

From Galveston, Texas, I have before me two species of
this section. One of these is represented by seven males
and three females, the other by three males only, the latter
having an almost impunctate head and longer elytral striae;
these have the first segment elongate, and the middle por-
tion of the dorsal surface behind its apex exhibits sexual
modifications consisting of excavations and minute tubercu-
lations of the greatest complexity. The males of the first
species have shorter elytral stria?, a more punctate head,
and also exhibit sexual characteristics affecting the dorsal
surface of the abdomen, although of an entirely different
kind. The first two segments are perfectly normal, the first
slightly elongate, but the third is very broadly and feebly
impressed, the impression having in the middle a tuft of
long erect sparsely-placed seta?. The sexual characters,
therefore, affect the same part of the body as in Bryaxis, but
instead of being limited mainly to the first segment, it is
the portion posterior to this which is principally modified.
These species are, however, well distinguished from Bryaxis
by the presence of lateral carina? on the lower surface of
the head. .

182 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [26]

In at least certain groups of Coleoptera, sexual characters
should be considered generic when they are evinced by
such radically different modifications, for these imply
decided differences in the methods of exercising the func-
tions pertaining to reproduction, the most important act in
the lives of these organisms, and are the outward signs of
innate differences much greater than those made apparent
by mere external form. From a biological standpoint they
are the most important characters which can be assumed,
and in the present instance have an unquestionable value.

I have, therefore, drawn up the following scheme of
genera, the differences being indicated by characters which
are non-sexual, and which readily serve for identification
irrespective of the more important differences which have
been indicated above.

Head having two occipital foveas, not carinate laterally beneath.

Pronotal foveas joined by an impressed line Rybaxis.

Pronotal foveas three in number, generally not connected.

Foveas subequal, large, all spongiose Bryaxis.

Foveas equal, smaller, pucctiform Nisa.

Foveas unequal and dissimilar.

Lateral large, spongiose; median small, nude. . . Reichenbachia.
Head having no occipital foveas, finely and strongly carinate beneath later-
ally.
Pronotum having small, feebly-impressed, lateral fovtas and a very

minute, more abrupt median puncture, all nude. Nisaxis.

Pronotum devoid of foveas; elytral strias obsolete1 '2

Eybaxis Saulcy. — In our fauna this genus contains the
three species sanguined Leach, conjuncta Lee. and Brend-
elii Horn.

Nisa n. gen. — There being no specimen of this genus be-
fore me at the present time, I cannot state positively
whether the head is laterally carinate or not, it is, how-

'LeConte— Tr. Am. Ent. Soc. VIII, p. 183.

-'The characters given for inornata Brend. indicate a very peculiar species
which warrants closer study than has yet been given it. As the occipital
foveas are wanting, it may be attached for the present to Nisaxis, but it prob-
ably possesses differential characters of generic value.

[27] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 183

ever, attached to that group to which it is probably most
closely allied. Nisa includes but two species, luniger Lec-
and cavicornis Brend.

Keichenbachia Leach. — By direct comparison with Euro-
pean representatives there is no apparent difference in the
American forms.

Nisaxis n. gen. — Here the species are decidedly more mi-
nute than in any of the other genera of this group, and are
probably more abundant than hitherto supposed. It is
very distinct in its cephalic characters, as well as those of
the pronotum and sexual modifications. The discal striae of
the elytra are usually shorter than in the other genera, and
the basal carina? of the first dorsal segment short and widely
distant. At present it can include only tomentosa Aube.3

BRYAXIS Leach.

The more salient characters separating Bryaxis from the
other genera here noted, besides the sexual modifications
already mentioned, are the comparatively large size, more
distinct abdominal border, the pronotal fovea? and the very
large eyes situated almost at the extreme base of the head.

B. texana u. sp. — Form rather slender, pale rufotestaceous throughout;
legs concolorous; antennae aud abdomen very slightly darker; integuments
polished; pubescence very short, suberect, not dense. Head rather small;
eyes very large, prominent, situated very close to the basal angles, more con-
vex posteriorly; base broadly truncate; surface feebly convex, impunctate,
occipital foveas situated on a line through the anterior portion of the eyes,
moderate, rather deeply impressed, mutually more than three times as dis-
tant as either from the eye; apical fovea very slightly smaller, more broadly
impressed at the sides; apical angles very slightly rounded; antenna? rather
slender, distinctly longer than the head and prothorax together, club rather

3The species described by me (Cont.I, p. 33) as inopia, has been considered
a synonym of this species in the recently published Check List of North
American Coleoptera. As inopia has two well-developed occipital fovea?, it
cannot be placed in the neighborhood of tomentosa. If the compilers of the
catalogue are determined to regard it as a synonyu:, some more appropriate
species should be selected with which to combine it; it belongs near rubi-
cunda, although somewhat resembling tomentosa.

184 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [28]

prominent; joints three to eight equal in width, nine to eleven increasing
uniformly and rather rapidly in width. Prothorax widest in the middle,
where it is scarcely wider than the head, distinctly wider than long; sides
very narrowly rounded, convergent and more broadly rounded anteriorly,
moderately convergent and rather deeply sinuate toward base; the latter
broadly, feebly arcuate, five-sixths as wide as the disk, one-half wider than
the apex; the latter transversely truncate; disk strongly convex, not percep-
tibly punctate, broadly impressed before the base toward the sides, trans-
versely subgranulose along the base; lateral fove;t> rather large, deeply im-
pressed, at one-third the length from the base; median about equal in size,
less deeply impressed. Elytra at base distinctly wider than the prothorax, at
apex twice as wide as the latter; sides evenly and moderately arcuate; disk
distinctly wider than long, broadly and not strongly convex, more abruptly
declivous along the sides; humeri rather prominent; surface excessively
feebly and obsoletely punctate; sutural stria? fine, deeply impressed, nearly
parallel; discal very fine and feeble, slightly arcuate, gradually evanescent at
slightly less than one- third the length from the apex. Abdomen polished,
impunctate; border strong; carina? of first segment very short, divergent,
distant by fully two-fifths the total width. Legs rather long and slender;
posterior tibiae feebly clavate, very slightly bent, very feebly and obsoletely
grooved exteriorly at apex. Length 1.3 mm.

Texas; (El Paso 1).

The sole representative is a male, exhibiting the usual
very marked abdominal characters. The first segment is
very lon»-, four-fifths as long as the elytra, and is almost the
only portion of the abdomen seen when viewed vertically;
its apex is rather abruptly deflexed, transversely impressed
in the middle; the edge with a small, rounded, very distinct,
median sinuation; remaining segments almost vertical, very
short, almost equal; second broadly and extremely feebly
sinuate in the middle; surface anteriorly with a transversely
arcuate, impressed channel which is partially hidden under
the first segment, and which corresponds in outline with the
sinuation of the first; remaining segments not sensibly mod-
ified. The apical margins of the first and second segments
are abruptly thinner.

This species probably belongs to the Belfragei type, but
the description of that species will not apply to this.

B. infillita n. sp. — Form slightly robust, dark rufo-castaueous; head black-
ish; elytra rufous, darker at base and apex; antennae and legs concolorous,

[29]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 185

dark fuscous; integuments polished; pubescence rather coarse, very short
and rather dense. Head moderate, much wider than long; eyes very large,
prominent; base broadly truncate; surface feebly convex, scarcely percepti-
bly punctate; occipital foveas rather large, feebly impressed, on a line
through the anterior margins of the eyes, mutually two and one-balf times as
distant as either from the eye; apical equal in size, feebly impressed; sur-
face between the antenna? gradually declivous; antenme somewhat robust,
distinctly longer than the head and prothorax together, club rather promi-
nent; basal joint feebly dilated, slightly longer than wide, second slightly
smaller, longer than wide, subcylindrical, third slightly shorter, slightly
obconical, distinctly longer than wide, tenth as long as wide, much wider
than the ninth, eleventh distinctly wider than the tenth, slightly elongate,
obliquely acuminate. Prothorax widest at two-rifths the length from the
apex, where it is scarcely wider than the head, nearly one-third wider than
long; sides rather strongly rounded, rather strongly convergent and feebly
sinuate to the base; the latter broadly, feebly arcuate, three-fourths as wide
as the disk, one-half wider than the apex; the latter transversely truncate;
disk strongly convex, scarcely punctate; lateral and medial foveas equal,
moderate, the former more broadly impressed. Elytra at base distinctly
wider than the prothorax, at apex slightly less than twice as wide as the lat-
ter; sides evenly, not very strongly arcuate; disk slightly wider than long,
evenly, rather feebly convex, extremely minutely punctate; sutural striae very
distinct and deeply impressed, rather approximate, nearly parallel; discal '
deeply impressed and distinct, becoming slightly recurved posteriorly, and
terminating abruptly at one-fifth the length from the apex. Abdomen fully
as wide as the elytra; border wide and prominent; surface scarcely punctate,
moderately convex; basal carina? distant by slightly more than one-third the
total width, distinct, less than one-third as long as the segment, almost par-
allel. Legs rather long and slender. Length 1.5 mm.

Texas; (Austin 14).

This species is remarkable amongst the American repre-
sentatives of the genus, in the complete absence of male
sexual modifications of the dorsal segments of the abdomen.
The male described above is very slightly more robust than
the female, and has the antenme slightly longer and with a
more prominent club, the tenth joint especially being
shorter and more transverse in the female. The type speci-
men has the oedeagus protruded. The lateral members are
seen to be two thin, elongate laminae, obliquely acuminate
at apex and having at the middle of the external edge a
small tuft of dilated membranous hair.

186 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [30]

REICHENBACHIA Leach.

The species are numerous, as a rule smaller than in the
preceding genus, and especially distinguished by the rather
finer abdominal border and the dorsal surface similar in
both sexes. The species here described may be assigned
as follows: —

Head $ and 9 with three fovea?.

Antennas dissimilar in the two sexes.

lumorosa, tumidicornis and informis.

Antennae similar in the stxes g racilicornis and nevadensis.

Head tf and 9 bifoveate.

Antenna dissimilar in the sexes fundata and franciscana.

The special relationships will be indicated under each
description/

It. tumorosa n. sp.— Rather robust; color rather dark rufo-castaneous;
antenna concolorousiu the middle, paler at base and toward the apex; elytra
and legs paler, much more flavate, the former not darker at apex; pubescence
fine, short, not at all flense. Head rather small; eyes moderate, prominent,
very coarsely granulate, at nearly their own length from the base; front trans-
versely and rather strongly convex, almost completely impunctate, highly
polished, having on a line through the middle of the eyes, two small, deeply
impressed fovea, mutually three and one-half times as distant as either from
the eye; with a large, deep impression between the antenna at the bottom
of which there is a very minute, spongy-pubescent fovea; apex strongly
declivous, angularly and slightly produced in the middle; antenna rather
shoit, rob.ist, as long as the head and prothorax together; first joint mod-
erate, second smaller, subglobnlar, third wider, short, strongly transverse,
triangular, closely adjacent to the fourth, which is very large, strongly-
transverse; joints five to eight, transverse, very rapidly and uniformly di-
minishing in width, sixth shorter than the seventh, eighth normal, eight to
eleven evenly, very gradually increasing in width. Prvthorax moderate in

4 The long, erect, stout seta, growing upon the lower surface of the head
are sometimes uulbous at the extremiiy, the enlargement being apparently
formed of a viscid substance which may perhaps be a secretion. If, how-
ever, this is the case, the seta are in all probability hollow tubes. It may
be this secretive matter which is so pleasing to ants, with which so many
species of Pselaphida are associated. The same appearancs of the seta has
been before referred to in a short paper on our Euplectini (Cont. II, p. 94),
although at that time I had not remarked the viscid nature of the material
forming the enlargement.

[31]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 187

size, widest at two-fifths its length from the apes, where it is slightly wider
than the head and distinctly wider than long; sides strongly, evenly rounded,
moderately convergent and feebly sinuate toward base; the latter broadly,
very feebly arcuate, one-half wider thau the apex, which is transversely
truncate, and four-fifths as wide as the pronotal disk; basal angles obtuse
and very slightly prominent, not at all rounded; disk strongly, evenly con-
vex, polished, almost impunctate, lateral foveas rather small, not very
deeply impressed; median puncture very small; base finely margined, sur-
face immediately before it feebly impressed, the impression obsolete in the
middle. Elytra at base distinctly wider than the prothorax, at apex fully
twice as wide as the latter; sides eveoly, rather strongly arcuate; together
broadly truncate behind; disk evenly, rather strongly convex, much wider
than long, two-thirds longer thin the pronotum, finely, very feebly and
obsoletely, evenly and rather sparsely punctate; sutural stria? strong; discal
strong, feebly arcuate, abruptly terminating at one-fifth the length from the
apex. Abdomen impunctate, highly polished, rather convex; first segment
longer than the next two together, with two fine, very distinct carina?, which
are distant by two-fifths tli3 entire width, nearly one-half as long as the
segment, and nearly parallel; at each side, near the border, and partially
under the elytra, there is a large spongiose fovea; between this and the
border a tine attenuated carina, two-thirds as long as the segment. Legs
long and slender. Length 1.4 mm.

California; (Sonoma Co. 4).

The description is taken from the male; the female anten-
na? are normal, robust and scarcely as long as those of the
male. In the latter the terminal segment of the dorsal sur-
face is very broadly emarginate at apex, the emargination
being evenly rounded and nearly ten times as wide as deep;
the ventral segments are not at all impressed.

This species belongs near sagax Lee, but differs greatly
in the structure of the male antennae as recorded in the
original description of that species.

It. tumidicornis n. sp.— Form rather slender, piceous; antenna? slightly
paler at apex; elytra bright rufous, base and apex clouded with a darker tint,
legs dark rufous; pubescence rather coarse, very short, not dense; iuteguments
polished. Head moderate in size; eyes rather small, very convex, coarsely
granulated and prominent, at fully their own length from the base; sides be-
hind them feebly convergent, distinctly arcuate; base broadly truncate; angles
narrowly rounded, not prominent; surface broadly, feebly convex, excessively
minutely, sparsely punctate; on a line through the middle of the eyes there
are two large, deeply impressed foveas, mutually three times as distant as
either from the eye; also near the apex a slightly smaller fovta, with the

188 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [32]

sides more broadly impressed; apex broadly angulate; antenna? as long as
the bead and prothorax together ; basal joint rather small, longer than wide;
second slightly smaller, cylindrical, slightly longer than wide; third small,
scarcely as long as wide, obconical; fourth as wide as the second, very
strongly transverse; fifth strongly inflated, transversely oval, more thau twice
as wide as long; sixth slightly more strongly dilated; longer, transversely
ovoidal, slightly more acute inwardly; seventh widest, shorter thau the pre-
ceding, apex truncate, very strongly transverse, more acute inwardly, more
than three times as wide as long; eighth slightly longer than the seventh,
one-half wider than long, obliquely truncate inwardly; ninth very small,
slightly wider than long; tenth slightly wider than long, distinctly wider
thau the ninth; eleventh rather slender, pointed, as long as the three preced-
ing together, distinctly wider than the tenth. Prothorax widest very slightly
in advance of the middle, where it is slightly wider thau long, very slightly
wider than the head; sides strongly arcuate, feebly sinuate before the basal
angles; disk strongly convex, very minutely punctate; lateral foveas very
large, rather deep; surface near the base slightly impressed and coarsely
punctate toward the sides; median puncture elongated longitudinally. Elylra
at base much wider than the prothorax, at apex more than twice as wide as
the flatter; sides strongly and evenly arcuate; truncate behind; disk rather
strongly and evenly convex, excessively minutely, rather sparsely punctate,
one-fourth wider than long, two-thirds longer than the prothorax; sutural
Btrise strong, nearly straight; discal very fine, rather feeble, terminating at
one-fifth the length from the apex. First ventral segment much shorter than
the next two together; carinas very fine, two-fifths as long as the segment,
distinctly divergent, distant by one-third the total width; carinas near the
lateral border nearly as long as the entire segment; lateral basal foveas dis-
tinct. Legs rather long, very slender; posterior tibias very slender, distinctly
arcuate and clavate, scarcely at all flattened. Length 1.2 mm.

California; (Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Cos.)
Described from the male in which the terminal dorsal
segment is narrowly and very feebly emarginate at apex,
the emargination much narrower than in hwnorosa, evenly
rounded, about eight times as wide as deep; ventral seg-
ments not impressed. In the female the antennae are
slightly shorter than in the male, normal, club robust.

Very abundant throughout the region indicated. It be-
longs near albionica (Mots.), but differs according to the
description given by Dr. LeConte in the structure of the
male antennae, and more especially in that of the posterior
tibiae which are not perceptibly flattened. The antennae

[33] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 189

oi albionica are described as having the " fifth joint dilated,
sixth larger than the following, rounded, 7 — 9, large, trans-
verse." This description evidently cannot be applied to
tumidicornis. One of the localities given by the above-
mentioned authority is Colorado; this is probably a mis-
print for California, as there is very little likelihood of
albionica occurring east of the Sierra Nevada Mts.

In the description of albionica given by Mannerheim (Bull.
Mosc. 1852, p. 371), the only joints which are described as
dilated are the fifth and sixth. In the present species the
seventh is distinctly the widest. The posterior tibias are
not described by Mannerheim as being flattened, but simply
dilated, which is more nearly the case in tumidicornis.
There have probably been several species confounded by
the various authors, as these species do not appear to have
a very wide distribution, but are more or less local.

Although so abundant about Santa Cruz, I have not yet
found this species to the north of San Francisco, although
I have collected over very extensive regions, giving special
attention to the Staphylinidse and Pselaphidte. Its gait
is rather more rapid than is usual in this genus.

R. informis n- SP- — Rather slender, dark rufo-oastaneous; elytra bright
rufous, slightly darker near the apex; autenuaa aud legs pale rufo-testaceous;
iutegutneuts polished; pubescence very fine, short aad sparse. Hiad mod-
erate; eyes very convex, at scarcely their own length from the base;
sides behind them feebly convergent aud Jirjuate; base broally truncate;
angles distiuctly rouuded; surface feebly, eveuly convex, excessively minutely,
sparsely punctate; punctures slightly larger and closer toward the sides; hav-
ing, on a Hue through the middle of the eyes, two moderate, not very deeply
impiessed fov< ae, mutually three times as distant as either from the eye;
near the apex a more broadly impressed fovea, with the pubesceut portion
equal to that of the occipital fovese; apex declivous, broadly angulate; an-
tenna3 as long as the head and prothorax together, club robust; basal joints
moderate, second slightly the smaller; third slender, much longer than wide;
fourth small, slightly transverse; fifth bli»htly dilated, a little longer than
wide; sixth as long ai wide, as wide as the fifth, obliquely truncate at apex,
joints seven to nine, very slightly wider than long, equal in width to the fifth;
the eighth slightly smaller; nine to eleven very rapidly increasing in width.
Prothorax widest very slightly before the middle, where it is very slightly

41— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. 6. Issued November 27, 1886.

190 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [34]

wider than tbo bead and slightly wider thai long; sides rather strongly,
evenly rounded, moderately convergent to the base, very feebly sinuate near
the basal angles, which are obtuse, not rounded; base bro.idly, feebly, but
distinctly arcu tte, one-half wider than the apex; the latter transversely trun-
cate; disk strongly convex, excessively, minutely, spa' sely punctate, coarsely
so along the basal margin; lateral foveas rather sm ill, not very deeply im-
pressed, at less than one-third the length from the has?; median very small,
longitudinally, slightly elongate. Elytra at base distinctly wider than the
prothonx, at apex more than twice as wile as the latter; sides evenly, not
very strongly acuite; apex trunc ite, feebly sinuate laterally; disk very
slightly wider than loug, nearly three-fourths louger than the prothorax,
evenly, moderately convex, excessively minutely, obsoletely and sparsely
punctate; sutural strire deeply impressed, nearly straight; discal fine, dis-
tinct, slightly arcuate, teruiin itiug at one-tenth the length from the apex.
A'tdomen rather elongate, convex; first segment not as lmg a-! the next two
together; basal carinas distinctly divergent, separated by distinctly less than
one-third th ■ total width, one-half as long as the segment. Leg-, rather long
and slender; hind tibia? not strongly clavate. Length 1.4 mm.

California; (Mendocino Co., 2).

Describad from the male; the terminal dorsal segment is
more than four times as wide as long, very broadly, feebly
emarginate at apex.

This species belongs near propinqua Lee, but is not very
closely related to any other described species.

R. graoilicornis a. sp. —Rather robust, dark rufo-castaueous; elytra
dark, obscure rufous; antennas and legs paler, dark rufo-testaceous; integu-
ments rather dull, head and elytra more polished; pubescence coarse, rather
long, mo lerately dense, suberect, rather conspicuous. Head moderate or
rather small, much longer than wide; eyes rather large, very convex, at
much less than their own length from the base; sides behind them strongly
coarctate to the base which is broadly subsinuate; surface feebly, evenly con-
vex, not perceptibly punctate; having on a line through the middle of the
eyes two rather large and feebly impressed foveas, mutually more than three
times as distaut as as either from the eye; apical fovea slightly smaller
but more widely and deeply impressed; antennal emarginations rather ap-
proximate, angular; apex slightly produced, narrow, declivous, with the sides
nearly straight and feebly divergent anteriorly; antennae very slender, slight-
ly longer than the head aud pronotum together; first and second joints longer
than wide, cylindrical, the sec md slightly smaller, three to six each cylindri-
cal, slender, more than twice as long as wide, sixth slightly smaller, seven
and eight scarcely more robust, the former twice as loug as wide, the latter
quadrate, ninth slightly more robust, a little louger than wide, tenth slightly
wider than loug, two-thirds wider thau the ninth, sligh'ly trapezoidal, elev-

[35]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 191

enth one-half wider than the tenth, obliquely ovoidal, pointed. Prothoraa

widest at two-fifths the length from the apex, where ir is much wider than
the head and one-third wider than long; sides acutely rounded, slightly con-
vergent and feebly arcuate to the base, before which they are nearly straight;
base broadly, feebly arcuate, one-half wider than the apes ami three-fourths
as wide as the disk; apex broadly, very feebly emarginate; disk strongly con-
vex, very minutely punctate; lateral foveas large, feebly impressed, at two-
fifths the length from the base; median small, well before the base. Elytra
at base just visibly wider than the prothorax, at apex slightly less than twice
as wide as the latter, broadly truncate, feebly trisiuuite; sides evenly, not
strongly arcuate; disk broadly convex, finely, not densely, very feebly punc-
tate; sutural strias deep, feebly arcuate; diseal flue, distinct, not deeply im-
pressed, terminating at one-tenth the length from the apex Abdomen
rather short, moderately convex; first segment distinctly longer than the next
two together; carinse fine, distinct, ne.irly one-half as long as the segment,
feebly divergent, feebly directed outward at apex, distant by les^ than one-
fourth the total width; carinas adjoining the margins extremely line, almost
obsolete. Legs long and slender; posterior tibi;e feebly clavate, slightly bent
inward toward the apex, where there is externally a short groove for the re-
ception of the tarsi when reflexed. Length 1.3 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

Described from the male; the terminal dorsal segment
lias at the apex a small semicircularly founded emargina-
tion, nearly twice as wide as deep, the tingles being acute
and slightly produced; last ventral segment very feebly im-
pressed in the middle.

This species belongs to the rubicund'! type of the genus
and should be placed near that species, front which it differs
in the smaller and deeper apical emargination of the male.

The external groove at the apsx of the posterior tibiae ap-
pears to be a generic character.

R. nevadensis n. sp. — Moderately slender, piceous; elytra rufous, slightly
darker at apex; legs dirk, brownish-piceous; auteime slightly paler, rufo-
fuscous; integuments polished; pubescence short, co.trse. evenly but not
densely placed. Head moderate; eyes rather large, prominent, at scarcely
more than one-half their own length from the base; sides behind them
rather strongly convergent and strongly arcuate to the base, which is very
broadly truncite; surface rather strongly convex, not perceptibly punctate
behind; having on a line just in advance of the middle of the eyes two larger
deeply impressed fovee, which are mutually two and one-half times as dis-
tant as either from the eye; between the antenna transversely impressed,

192 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [36]

impression finely punctate, having at the bottom a smaller circular fovea;
antennas short and robust, not as long as the head and prothorax together,
club robust, second joint subcylindrical, longer than wide, slightly narrower
than the first, three to eight narrower, subequal in width, third, fifth and
sixth slightly longer thau wide, fourth and seventh subquadrate, eighth
smallest, wider than long, eight to eleven increasing evenly and very rapidly
in width, ninth and tenth strongly transverse, eleventh slightly longer thau
wide, obtusely and obliquely acuminate. Prothorax widest at one-tbird the
length from the apex, where it is very slightly wider than the head and one-
fifth wider than long; sides rather strongly, narrowly rounded, moderately
convergent and nearly straight toward base, just before which they are very
feebly sinuate; base three-fourths as wide as the disk, one-third wider than
the apex; the latter transversely truncate; disk strongly convex, scarcely
perceptibly, sparsely punctate; lateral foveas moderate, at two-fifths the
length from the base; median small, distinct, not at all elongate. Elytra at
base distinctly wider than the prothorax, at apex distinctly more than twice
as wide as the latter; sides evenly, rather strongly arcuate; disk moderately
convex, scarcely perceptibly punctate; sutural stripe deeply impressed, nearly
parallel; discal rather strongly arcuate and deeply impressed, terminating at
one-fifth the length from the apex; together distinctly wider than long, two-
thirds longer than the prothorax. Abdomen moderately convex; basal seg-
ment as long as the next two together; carinas distant by two-fifths the entire
width, very short, distinctly less than one-third as long as the segment, dis-
tinctly divergent, nearly straight. Legs slender, posterior tibiae feebly
«lavate, strongly arcuate. Length 1.3 mm.

Nevada; (Reno, Washoe Co. 3).

The sexual characters appear to be very slight, but there
is apparently very little doubt that it belongs in the rvbi-
cunda group of species. It may be readily distinguished
by the transverse impression between the antennae and the
very short basal carinas of the first dorsal segment; in the
type these are scarcely more than one-sixth or one-eighth
as long as the segment, but in another specimen which has
shorter antennas, and therefore probably the female, they
are more than one -fourth as long as the segment. The pos-
terior tibife are unusually strongly arcuate.

It, fundata u- SP- — Moderately robust, piceous-black; elytra rufous,
clouded slightly darker at apex and base; antennas dark brownish-piceous;
legs dark brownish-piceous, femora more rufous; integuments polished; pu-
bescence fine, very short, somewhat dense on the abdomen. Head moderate,
wider than loDg; eyes moderate, at less than their own length from the base;

[37]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 193

sides strongly rounded to the base, which is transversely truncate; surface
broadly, feeb'y convex, scarcely perceptibly, sparsely and very obsoletely
punctate; occipital fovese on a line through the anterior portions of the eyes,
moderate in size, not very deeply impressed, mutually three times as distant
as either from the eye; apical fovea entirely wanting; apex abruptly and very
strongly declivous, having two small approximate cilia'e tubercles; antennas
long and slender, one-half as long as the bodjT, club slender; basal joint large,
irregular, second much smaller, slightly more robust than the third, the lat-
ter distinctly longer than wide, fourth smaller, subquadrate, fifth to seventh
slightly dilated, the sixth slightly the shortest, as wide as long, eighth nar-
row, joints eight to eleven very gradually, evenly increasing in width, all
longer than wide. Prothorax widest at two-fifths the length from the apex,
where it is as wide as the head, distiuctly wider than long; sides evenly,
strongly arc late, moderately convergent and feebly sinuate to the base; the
latter broadly, feebly arcuate, four-fifths as wide as the disk, nearly one-half
wider than the apex; the latter transversely truncate; disk strongly convex,
not visibly punctate except along the base; lateral foveae rather small, not
very deeply impressed, at one-third the length from the base; median rather
large, somewhat longitudinally elongated. Elytra at base slightly wider than
the prothorax at apex twice as wide as the latter; sides evenly and rather
strongly arcuate; disk evenly, rather strongly convex, sparsely anl very ob-
soletely punctate; sutural striae deep, nearly parallel; discal distinct, arcuate
terminating at one-fifth the length from the apex. Abdomen moderately con-
vex; first segment scarcely as long as the next two together; basal carinae
fine, slightly divergent, distant by slightly more than one-third the total
width, very short, about one-fourth as long as the segment. Legs slender;
posterior tibiae very feebly clavate, slightly beat; tarsi rather long. Length
1.2 mm.

California; (Sonoma Co. 3).

Described from the male, the terminal dorsal segment
being rather broadly emarginate, the etnargination evenly
rounded and feeble, about eight or nine times as wide as
deep. The female is quite similar to the male, but has the
antennae normal in structure and slightly shorter; the vertex
also lacks the two ciliate tubercles, and the median punc-
ture of the pronotum appears to be less elongate.

Belongs near compar Lac, but is abundantly distinguished
from that species by the structure of the antennae and the
darker colors.

R. franoiscana u. sp. — Form rather slender, black; antennae brovvuisb.-
piceous; e'ytra dark rufous; legs dark piceous-brown; under surface black;

104 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [38]

integuments polished; pubescence fine, short, subrecumbent, rather dense.
Head moderate, slightly wider than long; eyes moderate, at less than their
own length from the base; sides strongly rounded to the base, which is very
broadly truncate or just visibly sinuate; surface feebly convex, finely, evenly
and distinctly punctate; occipital foveae rather small, feebly impressed, on a
line through the middle of the eyes, mutually slightly more than twice as
distant as either from the eye; apical fovea wanting; vertex broadly, feebly
sinuate above, abruptly and very sti-ongly declivous, the face of the decliv-
ity bearing a transversely oval sensitive area of very dense, erect, short
setce; antennae rather short and robust, about as long as the head and pro-
thorax together, club somewhat robust; two basal joints, rather small, the
second slightly the smaller, third narrower, slightly longer than wide, per-
ceptibly obconical, fourth very slightly wider, a little transverse, fifth
slightly dilated, a little longer than wide, seventh and eighth equal, a little
narrower, very slightly narrower than long; joints eight to eleven uniformly,
rather rapidly increasing in width, eighth as wide as the seventh, eight to
ten wider than long. Prothorax widest at two-fifths its length from the
apex, where it is scarcely perceptibly wider than the head and distinctly
■wider than long; sides strongly, evenly rounded, moderately convergent
and nearly straight toward base; the latter broadly, feebly arcuate, four-
fifths as wide as the disk, one-half wider than the apex; the latter trans-
versely truncate; disk strougly convex, finely, rather densely and evenly
punctate, lateral fovea- rather large, moderately impressed, at slightly
more than one-third the length from the base; median very small, near the
base. Elytra at base slightly wider than the prothorax, at apex scarcely
twice as wide as the latter; sides evenly and rather strongly arcuate; disk
very slightly wider than long, moderately and evenly convex, very minutely,
not densely punctate; sutural striae deep, nearly parallel; discal distinct,
arcuate, terminating at slightly less than one-fifth the length from the apex.
Abdomen moderately convex; basal segment nearly as long as the next two
together; bisul carina; very fine, very distinctly divergent, distant by about
one-fourth the total width, slightly less than one-third as long as the seg-
ment. Legs short and robust; intermediate tibire short, robust, not at all
clavate, slightly thicker in the middle, having a large, robust terminal spur;
posterior tibiae longer, more slender, slightly clavate. Length 1.3 mm.

California; (San Mateo Co. 1).

The description is taken from the male. The terminal
segment is rather broadly and extremely feebly emarginate
at apex.

This species belongs near the last, but may easily be dis-
tinguished from any hitherto described by its colors, punc-
tuation and male sexual characters. The female probably

[39] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 195

Jias simple antennas and lacks the sensitive oval patch on
the declivity of the vertex.

R. deformata Lee. — Three specimens of this species were
taken at Paraiso Springs, Monterey Co. The antenna is
figured on the plate; the abnormally large second joint is
excavated and coarsely punctured beneath.

SONOMA n. gen. (Euplectini.)

The following genus belongs near Faronus and Sagola,
with apparently much greater resemblance to the latter.
The species thus far described belong to the Pacific Coast
fauna, and were placed by Dr. LeConte in Faronus. The
diagnosis may be given as follows, the general characters
being those of the Euplectini.

Posterior coxas contiguous; tarsi with two eqnal claws. Antennas ratber
distant at base, feebly but distinctly clavate; first joint much louger thau the
secoud. H-ad slightly sin iller than the prothorax, with three nude fovea?
not connected, the two posterior small, the apical large and very deep; genas
not at all prominent, rounded. Protborax with two small discal foveas before
the middle, a very large, deep, widely dilated basal fovea, and one at eacli
side not connected. Elytra with sutural strias; discal deep and broad, short,
basal. First segmeut of the abdomen very short, shorter thau the second or
third, coriaceous above, corneous beneath, without basal cariLie; second seg-
ment having an apical transverse line of finely spongiose sensitive surface
which is interrupted in the middle. Tarsi rather short. Eyes well developed.
Body very depressed, linear.

The head is not carinate beneath, but has a deep trans-
verse groove just behind the mentum and maxilla?. The
elytra are mucli longer than the prothorax, depressed. The
Hanks of the elytra are norm d. The middle coxa? are sub-
contiguous, separated by a very narrow carina.

The genus Sonoma is distinguished from Faronus by the
form of the geme and the short basal segment of the abdo-
men; from Sagola Sharp it differs in its less approximate and
less prominent frontal tuberculations, and especially in the
structure of the antennae, which are in Sagola not at all clav-

I'M! CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [40]

ate; the three outer joints in Sonoma are distinctly enlarged,
forming a loose club.

The transverse areas of sensitive surface near the apex
of the second dorsal segment are analogous to similar
transversely oval patches previously noticed by me as
being very common in the Hornalini of the Staphylinidae,
and they probably serve the same purpose in each group.
They have been noticed by Dr. Sharp in Sagola. Although
both the species of Sonoma before me have these sensi-
tive patches, I am not certain that their presence is con-
stant throughout the genus.

OROPUS n. gm. (Euplectini.)

Tarsi with t wo unequal claws, posterior coxas very closely approximate.
Maxillary palpi moderate in length, fourth joint rather elongate and spindle-
form, widest near the middle, bristling with minute seta; at apex. Heal
with two small occipital fovea;, which are spongiose aud connected by an
arcuate, impressed groove; antenna; similar in the sexes; eyes well developed.
Prothorax with two lateral spongiose fovea; at base, connected by a deeply
impressed line, also with an impressed median caualiculatiou; sides near the
base with a small, acute, refiexed tooth. Elytra with acute lateral margin;
each having four deep punctures at base, prolonged posteriorly as fine dis-
tinct stria;. Abdomeu with a short basil segment, hidden by the elytra
above, visible beueath, not extending beyond the coxa;; second segment long,
more than twice as loDg as the third. Tarsi three-jointed; basal joint very
small, second very long. Abdomen strougly margined above. B xly rather
robust and convex.

This genus belongs to the Trichonyx group of the Eu-
plectini, but differs greatly from that genus in the position
of the posterior coxa), which are here very narrowly sepa-
rated, almost contiguous at base. In Trichonyx they are
quite distant, more than three times as distant as in the
present genus. Oropus belongs near Trogaster Sharp, and
differs from it in the form and position of the pronotal teeth.
In addition, the following characters distinctive of Trogas-
ter are not found in Oropus: — Antennae dissimilar in the
sexes; fourth joint of maxillary palpi rather short, widest
near the base; head with two small occipital fovere, which

[41] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 197

are not spongiose, and not connected by the anterior arcu-
ate groove, the latter terminating posteriorly in two very
deep foveas just in advance of the occipital pair. Elytra
each with with three foveas at base, the lateral prolonged
posteriority in two divergent striae.

The structure of the abdomen differs decidedly in the two
genera, although Trogaster has the short basal segment, the
second ventral is but very little longer than the third. In
Trogaster the first three visible dorsal segments are nearly
equal; in Oropus these decrease uniformly and rapidly in
length. Amauronyx agrees well with the present genus in
abdominal structure, but has the posterior coxae separated
as in Trichonyx, the elytra with but two basal fove.e, and
the pronotum without lateral teeth.

I have drawn my comparisons from specimens of Amau-
ronyx Maerkeli Aub.; Trichonyx sulcicollis Reichb., and Tro-
gaster aberrans Sharp, very kindly given me, together with
many other Pselaphides and Scydmasnides, b}^ Capt. Ch.
Kerremans of the Belgian army.

Oropus has thus far occurred only on the Pacific Coast;
one species has already been described by Dr. Le Conte
under the name of Trichonyx striatus; I now add three others
from more southern latitudes, of which convexus is assumed
to be the type of the genus.

In the following descriptions the elytra! stria? are desig-
nated by the numbers one to four, in order from the suture
outward.

The four species may be distinguished as follows: —

Elytral stripe two and three subequal, extending distinctly behind the
middle.
Pronotal cmaliculation not intenupted before the transverse basal
groove.

Canalicnla'ion dilated anteriorly Striatus.

Caual.culation not dilated anteriorly, coarse, dilated in the middle,

convexus.

Canalicnlation completely interrupted behind the middle. . . interrupts.
Elytral stria' two and three unequal, snorter abbreviatus.

198 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [42]

These species, with exception of the first, which was
described by Dr. Le Coute from Vancouver Island, were all
taken in wet moss at the bottom of ravines near the sea-
coast, and within a very limited area. I have met with
them in no other locality.

0. COnvexus n. sp. — Form rather robust, convex, dark rufo-eastaneous;
elytra scaicely perceptibly paler, dark rufou9; legs and antennas slightly paler,
rufouF; pubescence coarse, rather long, not very dense; integuments polished.
Head to' ust, much wider than long; eyes moderate, prominent, at their own
length from the base; sides behind them strongly convergent and arcuate to
the base, which is about one-half as wide as the width at the eyes; impressed
groove strongly arcuate; occiput with a narrow canaliculation in the mid-
dle at base; antennas robust, short, as long as the head and prothoiax to-
gether; basal joint robust, longer than wide, distinctly narrowed toward base,
second slightly narrower, cylindrical, as long as wide, three to eight slightly
narrower than the second, gradually slightly shorter, third slightly wider
than long, ninth and tenth abruptly much wider, short, transverse, the tenth
i-lightly the larger, eleventh distinctly wider than the tenth, eouoida', acutely
pointed, as long as the four preceding joints together. Prolliorax widest
slightly before the middle, where it is scarcely visibly wider than the head
and n< arly as wide as long; sides here very strongly rounded, thence rather
strongly convergent and distinctly sinuate to the base; the latter broadly
arcuate, two-thirds as wide as the disk, one-third wider th^n the apex; the
latter feebly arcuate; sides toward the apex slightly sinuate, basal angles
prominent, slightly obtuse, not at all rounded; disk broadly convex; canalicu-
lation terminating at one-sixth tho length from the apex, slightly dilated iu
the middle in the form of a small puncture, continued toward base beyond
the transverse groove nearly one-half the dif^tanee between the latter and the
base; transverse groove deeply impressed, very feebly posteriorly arcuate, at
one-third the length from the base; lateral foveas deeply impressed, spongiose;
disk between transverse groove and base strongly convex; surfuce finely,
spaisely punctate. Elytra at base slightly narrower than the prothoray, at
apex one-half wider than the latter; sides rather strongly and neaily evenly
arc uate ; disk broadly and rat her strongly convex, as long as wide ; humeri long-
itudinally prominent but not carinate; sutural strias very deeply impressed,
entire, slightly arcuate, two and three equal, fine, strongly impressed, two-
thirds as long as the disk, four short, arcuate, terminating slightly before the
middle, fine, strongly impressed; surface rather finely, feebly and sparsely
punctate. Abdomen slightly shorter and narrower than the elytra; border
inclined, strong and conspicuous; surface broadly convex, very minutely,
sparsely punctate. Legs moderate in length, slender; femora slender, very
slightly clavate; posterior tibias neaily twice as long as the tarsi, very feebly
dilated toward tip. Length 1 9-2.0 mm.

[43] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 199

California; (Sonoma Co. 2).

The type is a male; the abdominal sexual characters are
not very well marked and consist of a very small transverse
impression beneath, near the apex. The under surface of the
head is moderately convex, with a fine but distinct median
carina; it is coarsely, rather deeply and not densely
punctate.

The female which I have associated with this male is very
slightly more depressed and very slightly more robust; the
antennas are shorter and more robust; the under surface of
the head is more finely and feebly punctate; the median
pronotal channel is finer and not so distinctly dilated in the
middle; the elytral striae are more feebly impressed; the
pubescence of the body is slightly denser and the color is
paler, especially that of the elytra, which is rather bright
rufous. If the specimen were not a female I should not
hesitate to describe it as distinct, but as the sexual char-
acters in this genus are not known the above differences
may be due simply to the usual sexual modification. The
material before me is so limited that very little can be learned
of specific variability, but in tabulating the species above
I have made use only of those characters which are regarded
as of great importance in other portions of the Pselaphidse.

0. interruptus n. sp. — Moderately robust, convex, uniformly dark rufous;
legs and antencte very slightly paler; pubescence rather coarse, not long,
moderately dense; integuments shining, pronotum slightly duller. Head
much wider than long; eyes moderate, convex, at their own length from the
base; sides behind them strongly convergent and arcuate to the neck, which
is deeply impressed, broadly sinuate; occipital foveae on a line through the
anterior limits of the eyes; occiput with a narrow median caualiculation ;
autennaj rather robust, as long as the head aud prothorax together; basal
joint slightly robust, a little longer than wide, second very slightly narrower,
cylindrical, scarcely as wide as lonp, three to eight very slightly narrower,
decreasing in length, third distinctly wider than long, niue and ten rather
abruptly longer and much wider, transverse, tenth distinctly longer and
slightly wider than the ninth, eleventh more robust thau the tenth, eloD-
gate, conoidal, slightly obliquely pointed, scarcely as long as the four
preceding together. Prothorax widest at a little more than one-third its

200 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [44]

length from the apex, where it is distinctly wider than long, very slightly
wider lhau the head; sides strongly rounded, thence convergent to the
basal angles, bisected by the lateral teeth, very feebly sinuate between the
teeth and the basal angles; base broadly arcuate, two-thirds as wide as the
disk, one-third wider than the apex; disk broadly convex; canaliculation
abrupt, rather narrow and deep, beginning slightly behind the apex,
abruptly terminating at the middle; transverse groove deeply impressed,
broadly, feebly arcuate, at distinctly less than one-third the leugth from the
base, prolonged posteriorly in the middle in a deep broad channel uearly
half way to the base. Elytra at base nearly equal in width to the prouotum,
at apex nearly one-halt wider than the latter; sides evenly and strongly arcu-
ate; humeral prominences convex, strong, elongate; disk slightly wider than
long, rather strongly convex, broadly impressed along the suture; strhe ono
strongly impressed, fine, two and three approximate, equal, fine, distinct, two-
t birds as long as the disk, four fine, deeply impressed, one-third as long as
the disk; surface rather coarsely, feebly and sparsely punctate. Abdomen
broadly convex, impuuctate; border strong, r ith6r strongly inclined. Zfl;/s
moderate in length. Length 1.9 mm.

California; (Sonoma Co. 1).

The type is a male. The species is easily distinguished
from convexus by the shorter and less robust basal joint of
the antennas, more broadly and evenly arcuate impressed
frontal groove, short pronotal canaliculation, broader median
posterior continuation of the transverse groove, and by the
color, which is more uniform and paler rufous.

()• abbreviatus n. sp. — Bather robust, moderately depressed, very dark
rnfo-testaeeous; an ennas and legs concolorous; elytra scarcely perceptibly
pal ji ; integuments polished; pubescence coarse, rather long and somewhat
dense. Head much wider than long, neck one-half as wide as the width at
the eyes; surface almost impuuctate; frontal impressed channel very strongly
arena* e; antennae as long as the head and prothorax together, moderately
robust; b.tsal j >int robust, longer than wide, second slightly narrower, a
little longer than wide, third very slightly wider thau long, ninth and tenth
abruptly wider, subequal in length, the latter very slightly the wider, elev-
enth slightly wider than the tenth, ovoilal, symmetrically pointed, scarcely
us long as the preceding four together. Prothorax widest very slightly before
the middle, where it is as wide as long; sides very strongly arcuate, converg-
ent and very feeb'y arcuate to the apex, sinuate near the latter, less strongly
convergent toward the base, strongly sinuate just before the latter; base
broadly arcuate, three -fourths as wide as the disk, oae-half wider thau the
apex; disk bro.idly convex; median canaliculation rather fine but deeply im-
pressed, beginning near the apex, continuous in width and depth across the

[45] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 201

transverse groove nearly one-half the distance between the latter and the
base; transverse groove deeply impressed, at slightly more than one-fourth
the length from the base, feebly, posteriorly arcuate; lateral fovete rather large,
moderately impressed. Elytra at base slightly narrower than the pronotum,
at apex one-half wider than the latter; sides eveuly and rather strongly arcu-
ate; humeral prominence convex, elongate; disk very finely, sparsely punc-
tate, nearly as long as wide, moderately and nearly evenly convex; stria one
deeply impressed, entire, two and three very closely approximate, finely im-
pressed, distinct, the former three-sevenths, the latter four-sevenths as long as
the elytra, four fine, deeply impressed, more divergent, one-third as long as
the disk. Abdomen slightly narrower and much shorter than the elytra;
border strong. Legs slender. Length 1.8 mm.

California; (Sonoma Co. 1).

This species, which is represented by the male, is easily
distinguished from the others by the brevity of the second
and third elytral striae. It is further distinguished by the
shape of the pronotum and by the form of the frontal im-
pressed groove, which is here very strongly arcuate, more
so than in convexus.

The antenna? are very similar in structure throughout,
but present slight differences mainly affecting the lirst,
ninth, tenth and eleventh joints.

ACTIUM n. gen. (Euplectini.)

The Californian species hitherto placed in Trimium in re-
ality form a very distinctly characterized genus. In the fol-
lowing comparative statement, I have had before me a male
and female of the European Trimium brevicorne Reichb.
which was taken by Aube as the generic type. In Trimium
as thus represented, the eyes are very unequal in the sexes,
in the males being moderate in size, in the females much
smaller. The pronotum is crossed by a very fine, feebly
impressed, basal groove. The flanks of the elytra are per-
fectly devoid of humeral fove;e. The first visible dorsal
segment is elongate, equal in length to the next two together.

The generic character of Actium may therefore be briefly
given as follows: —

202 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [46]

Maxillary palpi rather small, second joint very strongly clavate, third xui-
nute, subglobulir, fourth elongate, oval, moderately robust, loager than the
remainder taken together. Basal groove of pronotum very strong and deeply
impressed. Eyes rather large, convex and promiueut in both Hexes. Elyta
Laving on the flanks, just behind each humeral prominence, a 1 irge spoug-
iose fovea, which is coutinued to the elytral apex by a broadly and deeply
impressed groovj, limited interiorly by a fine acute ridge. First three visible
dorsal segments of the abdomen subequal, first f lightly the longir.

Actium differs from Euplectus in its more abrupt terminal
joints of the antennas, in the presence of spongiose foveas on
the head, in the very much more robust and convex form of
body, and in the structure of the abdomen. In Euplectus,
as represented by Bonvouloiri Reit. and signatus Keichb.
the first three visible dorsal segments are equal, the fourth
very much longer; the second and third ventral segments
are equal in length. In Actium the fourth visible dorsal is
but very slightly longer than the third, and the second ven-
tral is distinctly longer than the third. It will be seen
therefore that the genus Actium properly occupies a posi-
tion intermediate between Trimium and Euplectus.

The sexual characters at the apex of the venter are usually
quite complex.

It is highly probable that our eastern representatives of
Trimium will also necessitate the founding of a separate
genus, although this cannot be definitely stated at present.

LOMECHUSA Grav.

L. montana *>• sp. — Robust, rather depressed; sides parallel; pale rufo-
te^taceous throughout; antenna' and legs concolorous; pubescence very fii e,
sparse, abdomen polished, almost glabrous; anterior portions finely aluta-
ceous, elytra more shining than the pronotum; under surface polished. Head
small, much wider than long; eyes rather large and prominent, at nearly their
own length from the base; sides behind them nearly parallel; very feebly ar-
cuate; front with a large deep impression; entire surface very minutely
granulose and excessively minutely, not densely punctate; antennas very slen-
der, not incrassate, two-thirds as bng as the body; basal joint very large,
twice as long as wide, rather abruptly narrowed at the base, not a* long as
the next three together; second slightly longer than wide, not one-half as wide
as the first, scarcely two-thirds as long as the third; joints three to seven

[!']

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 203

equal, seven to ten very slightly decreasing in length, eleventh long and slen-
der, attenuate; apices of joints three to ten obliquely truncate. Prothorax
twice as wide as the head; apex throughout the breadth of the latter broadly,
roundly emargiuate; apical angles thence very bioa lly rounded, coarctate with
the siiles which become nearly straight and slightly divergent to within a
short distance of the base, where they become abrupily slightly convergent
and nearly straight to the basal angles; the latter obtuse and scare ly ro ind-
ed; base broadly and stiongly arcuate in the middle, sinuate laterally; disk
twice as wide as long, depressed in the middle, very broadly and slrougly re-
flexed at the sides, extremely feebly retlexed anteriorly, more strongly and
broadly so along the arcuate portion of the base, also more strongly im-
pressed at the sides and toward the apical angles, very minutely subgranulose
with evenly distributed, not dense, fine, granulose or strongly asperate punc-
tures: Elytra as wide as the prothorax; sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate;
apex broadly truncate, feebly sinuate laterally: inner angles distinctly round-
ed; humeri rather broadly rounded; disk nearly two-thirds wider than long,
one-third longer than the pronotutn, feebly convex, more strongly so toward
the humeri; base feebly declivous, finely, feebly subgranulose, finely, rather
sparse'y granulosely punctate; punctures more distinct than those of the
pronotum; suture margined with a fine, polished but not distinctly elevated
line which extends along the scutellum and base. Abdomen as wide as the
elytra; sides nearly straight and parallel; broadly, obtusely rounded behind;
surface stiongly impressed in the basal half, broadly, feebly convex behind;
lateral tufts of hair bright fulvous; under suffice strongly convex, having very
sparsely placed, erect selae. Legs long and slender; tarsi_ cylindrical; first
joint of the posterior longer than the next two together, one-third longer than
the fifth. Length 4.3 mm.

California; (Truckee, Nevada Co. 1). Elevation (3,000
feet.

A very interesting addition to the fauna of California;
the typical representative was found under a stone deeply
imbedded in soft soil near the margin of a small stream; no
ants of any description could be seen, and in fact myrmeco-
philous Coleoptera of all kinds appear to be extremely rare on
the Pacific Coast.

TACHYUSA Erichs.

T. crebrepunctata n- sp- — Rather slender, moderately convex, black
throughout; antenna; and legs same; tarsi and palpi paler, piceo-testaceous;
pubescence short, fine, dense and recumbent, coarser, longer and more
sparse on the abdomen; integuments shining, finely, deeply, evenly and
very densely punctate, head and abdomen slightly more coarsely and sparsely

204 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [48]

so. Head aud labium together slightly longer than -wide; front and occiput
strongly convex and declivous at the sides, flat above; eyes large, at scarcely
their own length from the base; sides behind them slightly convergent,
strongly arcuate; base broad, truncate; antenna? slender, very feebly in eras-
sate, scarcely as long as the head and prothorax together; second joint slen-
der, elongate, much longer than the third; joints three to ten decreasing in
length, the former more than twice as long as wide, the latter very slightly
wider thau long. Prolhorax slightly wider than long, widest at one-third its
length from the apex, where the sides are rather broadly arcuate, thence
rather strongly convergent and nearly coarctattly rounded to the apex, and
slightly less strongly convergent and feebly sinuate to the base; the latter
broadly and strongly arcuate throughout, four-fifths as wide as the disk and
slightly wider than the apex; the latter broadly and feebly arcuate throughout;
basal angles very obtuse and distinctly rounded ; disk broadly and rather strong-
ly convex, depressed in the middle toward base, and immediately before the
basal margin transversely and feebly impressed. Elytra sat base one-fouith
wider than the prouotum; sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate near the base,
strongly so near the apex; apical angles acute and slightly produced; together
subtruncate behind, feebly emarginate at the suture; disk nearly quadrate,
two-nfths longer than the pronotum, feebly and nearly evenly convex; su-
ture very finely margined. Abdomen distinctly narrower than the elytra;
sides parallel and nearly straight; border wide and prominent; surface feebly
convex; three basal segments rather deeply impressed at base but not more
densely or coarsely punctate, not carinate in the middle. Legs moderate in
lengtb, very slender; tibia? densely herissate with coarse, semi-erect seta?;
joints of the posterior tarsi decreasing rather rapidly in length, first nearly
one-half longer than the second. Length 2.5 mm.

California; (Monterey Co. 1).

This species is rather closely allied to T. Harfordi, but
differs in its smaller size, shorter, smaller and more trans-
verse prothorax, and denser and stronger punctuation.

The middle cox?e are distinctly although not widely sepa-
rated; the mesosternal process is rather short, broadly an-
gulate, the apex of the angle being broadly rounded; the
connecting surface is deeply impressed

AUTALIA Leach.

A. elegans u- SP- — Rather slender and depressed; head and abdomen
toward tip pictous-black, remainder dark piceo-castaneous; antenna? dark
fuscous throughout; legs rather pale brownish-fiavate; pubescence fine, sparse,
long aud distinct; integuments polished. Head slightly longer than wide;
semicircularly rounded behind from eye to eye; surface strongly and evenly

[49]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 205

convex, irupunctate; antennae distinctly longer than the head and prothorax
together, distinctly incrassate toward the apex; three basal joints elongate,
second very slightly shorter than the first or third, four to ten gradually
shorter and wider, the former distinctly longer than wide, the latter slightly
wider than long. Prothorax very slightly longer than wide; sides in the ante-
rior third strongly convergent aud neatly straight to the nuchal emargiuatiou
which is broadly and feebly incurvate and one- third as wide as the disk; in
the posterior two-thirds the sides are parallel, broadly and feebly incurvate at
the posterior third, at the anterior third strongly rounded; disk" transversely
and rather strongly convex at the sides, feebly so in the middle, where there
is a narrow, rather feeble canaliculation extending from near the apex to
slightly behind the middle; also at the base four foveas, the inner pair
continued anteriorly and slightly obliquely nearly to the middle by narrow,
deeply impressed canaliculations; the outer pair dilated laterally, and ante-
riorly, obliquely nnd briefly prolonged at their iuner extremities; surface
highly polished, finely and sparsely granulosa in the middle toward base;
basal margin broadly and feebly arcuate; angles right and very narrowly
rounded. Elytra at base nearly one-half wider than the pronotum; sides
nearly parallel, strongly arcuate toward apex; together subtruncate behind;
disk feebly convex, abruptly aud strongly so at the sides, irupunctate; sutural
striae fine and distinct; each elytron strongly bifoveate at the base. Abdomen
at base three-fourths as wide as the elytra; sides parallel and feebly arcuate;
border narrow, deep and strongly inclined; surface feebly convex; first three
segments transversely and very strongly impressed at base; impressed areas
coarsely, strongly and densely granulose, traversed longitudinally by five
carinas, remainder of the surface scarcely punctate on the basal segments,
finely, asperately and very sparsely so on the apical. Legs slender; first four
joints of the posterior tarsi slightly elongate, nearly equal. Length 2.0 mm.

California; (Lake Co. 1). Mr. Fuchs.

The prosternum is well developed in front of the coxa?,
slightly swollen, connected with the supracoxal surface by
an even convexity without trace of raised line; between the
coxte it is produced back as an acute angle, strongly car-
inate in the middle and projecting under the apex of the
inesosternutn, the posterior edges of the supracoxal surface
being narrowly and strongly reflexed; the portion behind
the coxa: is membranous.

The mesosternum is ample, broadly arcuate and very nar-
rowly reflexed anteriorly, finely carinate throughout along
the middle, the surface on either side of the middle being
broadly impressed for the reception of the anterior coxae in

15— Bull. Cal. Acad. Set. II. 6. Issued November 27, 1880

206 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [50]

repose; posteriorly, between the widely separated middle
coxa?, it is scarcely at all produced, but is very broadly
arcuate, reflexed and far above and free from the long
truncate metasternal process; the entire mesosternuin is
coarsely, strongly and densely granulose, forming a striking
contrast to the highly polished pro- and metasterna.

The anterior and middle tarsi have each four distinct
joints, but the long, very slender fourth joints are provided
at base with a very small and ill-defined segment, which
renders the accurate determination of the structure a mat-
ter of great difficulty'.

EUMITOCERUS n. gen. (Tachyporini.)

Head moderately deflexed; eyes adjacent to the prothorax; antennas long,
very slender, capillary, verticillate; two basal joints much more robust, first
slightly less than twice as long as the second; labrutn very small, much wider
than long, arcuate anteriorly, strongly inflexed and hidden under the project-
ing clypeus; maxillary palpi long, filiform and slender; second joint long and
very slender, third obconical, scarcely more than two-thirds as long as the sec-
ond, fourth slender, finely acuminate, slightly swollen toward base, longer
than the third, much more finely and densely pubescent. Pronotal hypomera
extremely strongly inflexed, almost parallel with the dorsal surface; wide be-
hind, very narrow anteriorly. Elytra passing a little beyond the metaster-
uum. Anterior coxas narrow, conical, convex anteriorly; posterior moderately
prominent, conical posteriorly, emarginate externally; posterior femora and
trochanters attached at the apices, their point of insertion not at all concealed.
Ventral segments margined; sixth exposed dorsally. Tarsi five-jointed. In-
teguments asperate.

It can be readily seen that Eumitocerus bears a great re-
semblance to Habrocerus, but differs from that genus in the

5. — I cannot but agree with Wollaston in his statement (Cat. Can.
Col., p. 535, foot-note), concerning the difficulties of the tarsal system as
applied to the Aleocharini. In many of the minute species it is impossible
to determine the number of tarsal joints in such manner as to leave no doubt
in the mind of the investigator, because of the hairy vestiture and the ap-
parent division of the terminal joint in many cases, which, as I have before
remarked, may be indicative of a real division at an early period in the his-
tory of the species. The more the subject is investigated, the more apparent
is it that the division of the Aleocharini in accordance with the number of
tarsal joints, is neither scientific in indicating true affinities, nor practical in
its application.

[51]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 207

relatively much shorter third joint of the maxillary palpi,
and more especially in the structure of the posterior coxoe.
In appearance it differs considerably, by reason of its aspe-
rate sculpture, in this respect being apparently related to
Tricophya. In the latter genus the elytra do not extend
beyond the metasternum, and the third and fourth joints of
the maxillary palpi are subequal in length.

There is at my disposal, unfortunately, but one specimen.
I cannot therefore give a representation of the maxilla; the
labial palpi appear to be very minute and are not distinctly
visible in the type. From the cursory glance which I ob-
tained before the antennae were broken, I am confident that
these are filiform and verticillate throughout.

E. tarsalis n. sp. — Form rather slender, dark castaueous; abdomen black,
paler at the apex; legs pale piceo-testaceous; antennae flavate, basal
joints piceo-testaceous; pubescence fine, denser on the elytra, recum-
bent, brownish, not conspicuous; integuments very feebly alutaceous,
shining. Head moderate, slightly wider than long, feebly and evenly
convex; eyes small, convex, finely granulate, rather prominent; front feebly,
densely and subasperately punctate; palpi testaceous; infraorbital ridge not
visible. Prothorax widest at two-thirds its length from the apex, where the
sides are obtusely subangulate and where it is nearly one-half wider than
long; sides thence moderately convergent aud feebly arcuate to the apex,
slightly less strongly convergent and nearly straight to the base; the latter
squarely truncate; basal angles obtuse aud ver}r slightly rounded; apex broadly
and feebly emarginate, distinctly narrower than the base; disk evenly aud
moderately convex, obliquely and feebly impressed near each basal angle, very
finely, rather densely and evenly punctate; punctures strongly asperate.
Scntellum rather large, as wide as long, asperate. Eli/traa.t base as wide as
the base of the pronotutn; sides feebly divergent, nearly straight toward the
base, feebly arcuate posteriorly; together as long as wide, broadly sinuate at
apex, nearly one-half longer than the pronotum; disk feebly, transversely
convex, finely, rather densely and evenly punctato-asperate; punctures slightly
coarser thau those of the pronotum. Abdomen at base very slightly narrower
than the elytra; sides rather strongly convergent toward apex aud nearly
straight; border moderate, feeble on the fifth segment; surface transversely
and moderately convex, even, minutely, very feebly aud rather densely punc-
tato-asperate at base, the punctures becoming more minute and sparse toward
the vertex; under surface more coarsely and strongly punctato-asperate to-
ward the base, sculpture subimbricate. Legs moderate, anterior short, rather
robust, remainder slender; posterior tarsi long, much shorter than the tibia,

208 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [52]

very slender, first joint longer than the next three together, as long as the last
three. Length 1.8 mm.

California; (San Mateo 1). Mr. C. Fuehs.

The type of this interesting species is probably a male.
The tarsi are very remarkable; the anterior are irregular,
attached obliquely to the tibia3, and have the basal joint
large, broadly dilated and slightly darker in color; the next
three joints are very small, emarginate at tip, pale flavo-
testaceous in color, and moderately dilated, successively
less strongly so; the fifth slender. The intermediate tarsi
are irregular and are very distinctly dilated toward base;
both the anterior and middle tarsi are densely clothed be-
neath with very slender papillse, and are verticillate at the
sides; the papillae beneath are sometimes terminated by
very minute enlargements which are apparently composed
of a viscid substance, and analogous to the erect setae ob-
served upon the under surface of the head in the Euplectini
of the Pselaphidae. The claws are very small. There
are no sexual characters of importance observable at the
abdominal vertex.

HETEROTHOPS Steph.

H, exilis u- sp. — Form very slender, rather convex; pale reddish-testa-
ceous throughout; head slightly darker, more castaneous; antennas and legs
slightly paler, pale flavate; integuments polished; head andpronotum glabrous;
elytra and abdomen finely and rather densely pubescent, the elytra the more
sparsely so. Head rather strongly deflexed, oblong, abruptly and feebly con-
stricted at the neck; sides thence to the eyes feebly convergent, feebly arcu-
ate, twice as long as the eyes which are small, not at all prominent and almost
at the apical angles; surface transversely and rather strongly convex, impunc-
tate, finely and excessively feebly strigose; antennas inserted at a very short
distance from the eyes, shorter than the head and prothorax together; feebly
incrassate; first joint as long as the next two together, third small, much
shorter than the second, slightly longer than wide, tenth distinctly wider than
long, eleventh slightly longer than the two preceding together. Prothorax
scarcely longer, and, at the apex very slightly wider than the head, widest at
the base where it is but very slightly wider than long; sides convergent from
base to apex, broadly, evenly and distinctly arcuate; apex broadly and very
feebly arcuate, three-fourths as wide as the base; the latter evenly and very

[53]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 209

distinctly arcuate throughout; angles broadly rounded; disk transversely and
rather strongly convex, impunctate, excessively minutely and obsoletely stri-
gose with a few setigerous punctures along the sides and base and four discal
punctures, one near each apical angle, and another just before and on either
side of the centre of the disk. Elytra at base very slightly narrower than the
prothorax; sides very feebly divergent, very feebly arcuate; together broadly
and distinctly sinuate behind; disk very feebly convex, slightly wider than
long, very slightly shorter than the pronotuin, evenly, not very coarsely,
deeply, moderately densely and asperately punctate; intervals extremely feebly
reticulate. Scutellum rather large, triangular, asperate. Abdomen long,
slender, at base nearly as wide as the elytra; apparently not capable of much
contraction; sides gradually convergent and nearly straight to the apex; bor-
der rather wide, deep, nearly vertical; surface rather convex, finely and
very densely punctate. Legs rather short and slender; first four joints of the
posterior tarsi decreasing rapidly in length, first subequal to the fifth.
Length 2.4 mm.

California; (Monterey Co. 1).

The single representative is probably a female; the an-
terior tarsi are slightly dilated; the seventh segment has
four long, setigerous, anal styles, but both the dorsal and
ventral plates of the sixth segment are broadly and evenly
arcuate at apex.

It is related to piislo Lee., but differs in the arrangement
and number of the occipital punctures; these are one at the
middle of the upper margin of the eye and one below the
posterior margin of the eye between the latter and the in-
traocular ridge; at the base on the sides there are a few very
minute punctures, and a transverse row of large setigerous
punctures immediate!}' before the nuchal constriction ex-
tending across the head.

The type specimen was found under pine bark early in
February near the town of Monterey.

ABAB ACTUS Sharp.

A. pallidiceps *>• sp. — Slender, rather depressed, piceous; head rufo-
Ustaceous; legs pale flavate; antennae opaque, pale flavo-testaceous; head
sometimes clouded in the middle of the disk; pubescence sparse throughout,
fine; integuments polished. Jlead distinctly longer than wide; post-ocular
portion slightly less than twice as wide as long, semicircularly rounded be-

210 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [54]

kind; eyes large, at twice their length from the base, finely granulate; sur-
face moderately convex, rather sparsely, unevenly and not deeply punctate;
punctures varying in size; antennal tuberculations abrupt, small and strong,
with the anterior edges acute and prominent; surface between them grad-
ually and anteriorly declivous, transversely truncate at apex; labrum short
and broad, acutely incised in the middle, finely, acuteby and prominently
bidenticulate, edge just without each tooth finely sinuate; fourth joint of the
maxillary palpi small, much narrower than the apex of the third, conical,
acute; antenna? long and slender, as long as the head and prothorax together,
not iucrassate; second joint distinctly shorter than the third, all the joiuts
longer than wide. Prothorax nearly three-fourths as wide as the head; sides
parallel, distinctly and almost evenly arcuate; base and apex almost equal in
width, truncate; basal aud apical angles equally and rather broadly rounded;
disk cyliudrically convex, one-half longer than wide, coarsely, feebly and
irregularly punctate; punctures sparse near the sides, more dense in an
irregular line borderiug the median impunctate area, which is very slightly
more strougly convex throughout its length. Elytra at base one-third wider
than the prothorax, slightly wider than the head; sides nearly parallel,
extremely feebly arcuate; together broadly and very feebly emarginate
behind ; humeri very narrowly rounded ; disk two-fifths longer than wide,
nearly one-third longer than the prothorax, depressed, very feebly impressed
toward base along the narrowly elevated suture, rather coarsely, feebly and
evenly punctate; punctures impressed, distant by more than their own
diameters, not appreciably more feeble toward apex. Abdomen slightly
narrower than the elytra; sides parallel and straight; surface finely, more
deeply, evenly and not densely punctate. Length 4.8-5.2 mm.

California; (Santa Rosa, Sonoma Co. 2; Anderson Val. ,
Mendocino Co. 1)

In the male the second ventral segment has in the centre
of its disk a small deep fovea bearing a small brush of erect
hairs, the third segment having two similar fovea?, rather
approximate, arranged transversely, distinctly before the
middle, each bearing one or two erect robust setae; sixth
segment with a very narrow deep incisure, with the sides
nearly parallel, very acutely rounded at apex and five times
as deep as its mid-width, bordered throughout its length
with a narrow, deeply concave gutter which is prolonged
anteriorly, continuing thence as a single groove to the base
of the segment, becoming gradually attenuated.

The prothorax is very slightly narrowed toward apex, the
basal angles thus being more prominent than the apical.

[55] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTEKA. 211

The color may vary somewhat from immaturity, both the
head and prothorax being sometimes paler. The single
specimen upon which this statement is based differs, how-
ever, in its slightly denser elytral punctuation; it is prob-
ably a female, the sixth segment being entire, narrowly
rounded at apex; the second segment is entire, but the
third has the two foveae as described in the male.

The present species belongs near A. politics Sharp, which
it resembles greatly in sexual characters; from nactus Horn,
it differs in color and in its much more elongate prothorax
and elytra.

The genus Ababactus differs from Hesperobium not only
in the structure of the labrum, — which allies it more closely
with Cryptobium, — and tarsi, as remarked by Dr. Sharp,
but also in the complete absence of the large basal carina
of the first ventral segment, which is such a prominent
feature of Hesperobium. The two post-ocular annular
punctures are well developed in Ababactus, and are com-
pletely absent in Cryptobium fracticorne Payk.

LENA n- ge»- (Piedeiiui.)

Body robust, depressed; head rather large; antennas short and robust;
labium rather short, broadly rounded, with a simple median sinnalion about
twice as wide as deep with no trace of denticulation or caiina; third joint of
labial palpi very minute and slender; third joint of maxillary palpi much
longer than the second, slender, fusiform, obtusely pointed at tip; fourth
excessively miuute, slender, subulate; eyes moderate, coarsely granulate.
Prothorax subquadrate, narrowed toward base, shorter than the elytra. In-
termediate and posterior tarsi rather slender, cylindrical; first joint of the
latter as long as the next two together, distinctly longer than the fifth; fourth
short, very slightly dilated, oblique at apex; anterior tarsi robust and spon-
gy-pubescent beneatb, very feebly dilated. Integuments rugulose, coarsi ly
punctate, shining. Neck rather slender; gular sutures well separated.

This genus belongs near Medon, but is easily distin-
guished from it by a peculiar and complicated modification
of the pronotal hypomera, the surface being deeply grooved
opposite the base of the cox;<> and the acute dividing line

212 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [56]

being Insinuate anteriorly. It does not appear to be very
closely allied to any of the Central American genera, and
may be easily recognized by its short robust form, rather
large truncate head, simple sinuate labrum, slender fusi-
form third maxillary palpal joint, short antenna? and non-
carinate prosternum. I have compared it directly with
31edon brunneus Erichs.
We have but one species.

L. testacea u. sp. — Robust; sides parallel; pale rufo-testaceous, elytra,
legs, palpi and antennae toward apex slightly paler and more flavate; pubes-
cence of elytra and abdomen fine, rather long, not dense. Head about as
long as wide; sides parallel, almost straight; base trausversely truncate,
feebly sinuate in the middle third; augles right, very narrowly rounded; eyes
at twice their length from the base, slightly prominent; front finely subgranu-
lose, coarsely, very feebly and not deusely punctate, with a rather broad
median impunctate line; antenna? equal in length to the head, distinctly iu-
crassate toward tip; basal joint distinctly longer than the next two together,
second distinctly longer aud more robust than the third, the latter slightly
longer than wide, joints four to ten subequal in length, increasing distinctly
iu width, the former as long as wide, the latter much wider than long. Pro-
thorax widest at the anterior augles, slightly shorter and narrower than tho
head, very slightly wider than long; sides rather feebly convergent from apex
to base, very feebly arcuate; base broadly subtruncate; angles rather broadly
rounded; anterior angles rather more narrowly rounded; sides of apex very
strongly convergent to the neck, nearly straight; nuchal truncation rather
feebly sinuate, two-fifths as wide as the disk; the latter feebly and
evenly convex, finely subgranulose, rather coarsely, evenly and feebly punc-
tate; punctures denser aud finer than those of the head, with scarcely a trace
of a median impuuctate line. Elytra at base very slightly wider than the
prothorax, as wide as the head; sides very feebly divergent, nearly ^straight;
together broadly and extremely feebly emarginate behind; disk as long as
wide, one-third longer than the prothorax, very feebly convex, scarcely im-
pressed along the suture, which is bordered with a thickened but scarcely
elevated margin; surface not granulose, polished, rather finely, evenly and
not densely puuctate, punctures impressed, deeper but not as large as those
of the pronotum. Abdomtn very slightly narrower thm the elytra; sides
parallel and distinctly arcuate; border rather narrow, deep and strongly in-
clined; surface broadly convex, very finely aud feebly reticulate, polished,
excessively minutely aud rather sparsely puuctate, each puncture being en-
tirely filled by a hair. Ligs rather short aud very slender. Longth 2.2 mm.

Texas; (Austin 2).

[57] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 213

There is unfortunately no male of this genus yet discov-
ered; the sixth segment of the female is short and broad,
very broadly and feebly rounded nearly throughout its width
at apex, subtruncate. The species may perhaps prove to
be apterous.

RAMONA n. gen. (PsBderini.)

This genus belongs to the Lithocharis and Medon divis-
ion of the Psederini, and is allied somewhat to Caloderma
and to several genera recently described from Central
America. It may be distinguished by the following char-
acters : —

Head smaller than the prothorax; the latter quadrate, shorter than the
elytra. Labium entire, short, broadly rounded throughout, without inequal-
ity except some very minute and feeble undulations, three or four in number
near the middle, having dorsally a small median carina; neck rather slender,
one-third as wide as the prothorax. Anterior tarsi broadly dilated; posterior
slender, cylindrical, first four joints decreasing very rapidly in length, first
nearly as long as the next two together, fourth cylindrical, very slightly
longer than wide. Head and pronotum without trace of median impunctate
line, stria or elevation; integuments extremely finely and densely punctate,
alutaceous. Eyes moderate in size, coarsely granulated.

The third joint of the maxillary palpi is rather more
strongly dilated than is usual in this group, the fourth
being normal. The elytra differ from those of many allied
genera in having no sign whatever of the usual narrow ele-
vated margin adjoining the suture. The genus is distin-
guished from Medon and Caloderma by many characters,
the most important of which is the strong dilatation of the
anterior tarsi.

The sexual modification of the male is very slight, con-
sisting of a simple broad sinuation at the apex of the sixth
segment, the fifth being entire.

But one species is known at present.

It. capitulum u. sp. — Rather slender and depressed, black throughout,
apical edges of the ventral segments paler; intermediate and posterior legs

214 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [58]

piceous, auterior legs and tarsi throughout paler, piceous-brown; palpi pi-
ceous; antennas piceous, paler toward tip; pubescence extremely short, fine
and excessively dense ou the elytra aud abdomen, much less dense anteriorly.
Head small, as wide as long; sides behind the eyes very slightly divergent
posteriorly, feebly arcuate; base truncate; angles not prominent, rather
broadly rounded; front eveuly and feebly convex, excessively minutely and
densely punctate; antennae rather long, slender, as long as the head and pro-
thorax together, not incrassate; basal joint scarcely as long as the next two
together, second three-fourths as long as the third, scarcely as long as, but
slightly more robust than the fourth, joints four to six equal, twice as long
as wide, six to ten decreasing in length, the latter scarcely as wide as long.
Prolhorax widest in the middle, where it is distinctly wider than the head;
sides parallel, feebly arcuate; base and apex broadly arcuate, the latter very
feebly so; basal angles broadly rounded; apical more narrowly so; disk as
wide as long, feebly and evenly convex, excessively minutely, evenly and
densely punctato-grauulose. Elytra at base just visibly wider than the pro-
thorax; sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate; together broadly and very feebly
emarginate behind; disk slightly longer than wide, nearly one-fourth longer
than the prothorax, feebly convex, not appreciably impressed along the
suture, excessively densely and very finely granulose, each granule bearing a
minute hair. Abdomen not narrowed toward base; sides parallel aud straight
border narrow, erect; surface feebly, cylindrically convex, excessively mi-
nutely, feebly and densely punctate; punctures slightly asperate aud not
arranged in auy order. Legs rather short and robust; first joint of the pos-
terior tarsi fully as long as the fifth. Length 3.7 mm.

Nevada; (Reno 1).

The unique specimen is a male, the sinuation of the sixth
segment being about four times as wide as deep and acutely
rounded.

The pronotum has besides the regular system of excess-
ively minute granulate punctures, a widely and irregularly
scattered system of larger, though still very small, rounded,
shallow punctures, each of which bears a small, erect seta.
The elytra are opaque, the head and prothorax somewhat
shining.

LEPTOGENIUS n. gen. (Picderini.)

Body slender, roughly sculptured. Head large, borne on a nai row neck.
Prothorax small. Elytra longer and wider than the pronotum. Abdomen as
wide as the elytra, gradually decreasing in width toward apex; four basal
segments equal in length; fifth nearly one-half longer than the fourth; sixth

[59]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTEKA. 215

very short. Antennae short; basal joint very robust. Maxillary palpi large;
basal joint small, slender, second longer, robust, sublunate, third very large,
flattened, Hubseeuriform, much longer than the first two together, fourth very
minute, in the form of a very short robust spine, erect, protruding from the
apex of the third. Labial palpi extremely small, slender; third joint appar-
ently long and slender, second scarcely shorter and distinctly more robust,
basal joint not visible. Mandibles long and slender. Grular sutures contigu-
ous throughout. Labrutn short, very broad, strongly arcuate, with a minute
median emarginatiou slightly wider than deep, on each side of which there
are two exceedingly minute, approximate aud robust teeth, upper surface hav-
ing a fine rnediau, longitudinal carina. Legs slender; anterior tarsi not at
all dilated; first four joints of the posterior decreasing uniformly and rapidly;
in length, first slightly longer than the fifth. Prostemum having a flue,
strongly elevated, median carina, slightly less elevated at the anterior margin;
under surface of the neck carinate.

The exact relationship of this genus is not apparent; it
is different in appearance from any of the other Pasder-
oid genera with which I am familiar, and in fact appears
to be a transitional form having uncertain affinities. The
labial palpi are very minute and in their position in the two
representatives before me are so deeply placed that it is im-
possible to give their exact structure.

The principal points of departure from the normal Psederi
are in the peculiar short antennas and spiniform — not subu-
late, oblique and retractile — terminal joint of the maxillary
palpi, also m the large third and small robust second joint
of that organ. The coxas are normally Pasderoid.

L. brevicornisn. sp. — Slender, pale ochreous-testaceous thi-oughout; elytra
slightly darker, castaueous except near the base; pubescence extremely short,
sparse, very evenly distributed throughout; integuments thick, opaque, very
coarsely scabrous, not at all shining, lie id slightly longer than wide; sides
parallel, nearly straight; base truncate, narrowly and distinctly sinuate in
the middle; angles moderately broadly rounded; surface transversely and
moderately convex, coarsely and very densely granulose; eyes moderate,
slightly convex, on the sides at a little less than twice their length from the
base, very coarsely granulate; antenme a little shorter than the head, dis-
tinctly clavate, funicle slender at base, posteriorly aud strongly geniculate;
basal joint robust, one-half longer than wide, second slightly les3 robust,
subglobular, three to six very small, very slightly wider than long, equal,
scarcely more than one-half as wide as the second, seventh slightly wider,

216 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [60]

seven to nine increasing rather rapidly in width, ninth and tenth strongly
transverse, equal, a little longer than the third, together scarcely as long as the
eleventh, which is ovoidal and pointed. Prothorax widest at one-third its
length from the apex, where it is very slightly narrower than long; sides
thence very strongly convergent and broadly sinuate to the apex which is
slightly produced, truncate at tip and less than one-third as wide as the disk ;
sides in the posterior two-thirds rather rapidly convergent to the base and
very feebly arcuate; apical angles obtuse, rather narrowly rounded and
somewhat prominent; basal rather broadly rounded; disk feebly convex,
feebly and broadly ridged along the middle especially in the basal half
where it is broadly and feebly biimpressed. Elytra at base distinctly wider
than the pronotum; sides very feebly divergent, feebly arcuate; together
broadly, angularly and feebly emarginate behind; disk quadrate, subde-
pressed, very slightly longer than the pronotum, coarsel}' and very closely
granulate; on each elytron there is a very feeble impression extending from
the scutellum slightly obliquely and near the suture nearly to the apex.
Ssutellum very indistinct, small, rounded. Abdomen at base as wide as the
elytra, and, at the apex of the first segment, slightly wider; sides gradually
convergent and slightly arcuate to the apex; border strongly inclined and
very distinct; surface moderately convex, coarsely aud densely ruguloso-
granulate. Under surface of the head coarsely and closely punctate:
punctures round, variolate and almost in contact; under surface of the
abdomen shining, rather finely punctate; punctures asperate and arranged
in wavy, interrupted, transverse rows. Length 1.7-2.0 mm.

Texas; (Galveston 2).

The sculpture of the pronotum consists of a very minute
reticulation of coarse strongly elevated lines.

The sexual characters are very feeble; the type is a male
and has the apex of the sixth segment broadly truncate or
excessively feebly sinuate throughout; in the female the
sixth segment is longer and extremely feebly angulate
throughout its width at apex. The male is much smaller
than the female.

The two representatives of this very interesting species
were found in detritus and rubbish on the inner side of the
sand dunes lining the ocean beach. It is the smallest
Pa3deride described from the United States.

Scop.eus.

The genus Scopams of Erichson was distinguished from
the other Prederoid genera by a remarkable character relat-

[61] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 217

ing to the ligula, which organ is here, in opposition to the
general rule, tricuspid at the apex. Many representatives
having the tricuspid ligula arc found in America, and as
they are all small and generally possess some of the char-
acteristics of Scopgeus, such as the narrow neck, they have
been assigned to that genus without due consideration.
Upon examination these various forms are found to differ
considerably in structure, so much so in fact that the desir-
ability aud propriety of generically separating them can
no longer be doubted; several of the more markedly distinct
groups have already been noticed. Diagnoses of the genera
which inhabit the United States, may be stated as follows: —

Posterior angle of prosternum prominent, the lower edge of the intercoxal
lamiua being reentrant or inwardly arcuate at and near its vertex and not
longitudinally continuous in curvature with the prosternum. Anterior
angles of prothorax very broadly rounded or obsolete.

Posterior under side-pieces of pronotum well developed. Surface punctate
or alutaceous Scopseus.

Posterior under side-pieces rudimentary. Surface polished aud nearly irn-

punctate throughout Scopseodera.

Posterior angle of prosternum not prominent, the lower edge of the inter-
coxal lamina being outwardly arcuate at and near the angle and longitu-
dinally continuous in curvature with the prosternum. Anterior angles
of the prothorax more or less prominent. Posterior under side-pieces
of the pronotum rather well developed.

Neck very slender; integuments excessively minutely punctate, aluta-
ceous Leptorus.

Neck broader; integuments coarsely punctate, polished Orus-

The generic characters of Scopreus have been taken from
a typical representative of S. Icevigatus Gyll., for which I
am indebted to M. A. Salle'.

SCOPJEUS Erichs.

Several American species are assignable to this genus,
among others opacus Lee. The following species of the
Pacific Coast may also be placed here at present.

S. rotlindiceps "• SP- — Rather slender, black; legs castaneous, paler toward
tip; antenua) and palpi rufo-fuscous, the former paler and flavate at the apex;
pubescence fine, short, very dense, more sparse on the pronotum, most conspic-

218 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [G2]

nous on the head; integuments shining. Head distinctly longer than wide,
sernicircularly rounded behind from points slightly behind the eyes; sides par-
allel and nearly straight; surface rather strongly convex, very minutely and
densely punctate; punctures much feebler and sparser along the middle; an-
tennae slightly shorter than the head and prothorax together; first joint but
very slightly longer than tbe second and third together, the latter subequal in
length, the second joint somewhat more robust, joints three to ten decreasing
rather rapidly in length, the former distinctly longer than wide, the latter
slightly wider than long. Prothorax distinctly narrower than the head, two-
fifths longer than wide, widest in the middle; sides in the anterior third rather
strongly convergent and very feebly sinuate to the nuchal einargination which
is narrow and deeply sinuate; sides in the posterior two-thirds rather feebly
convergent and broadly arcuate throughout; anterior angles extremely obtuse
and broadly rounded, almost obsolete; posterior broadly rounded; base ex-
tremely feebly arcuate; disk trausversely and moderately convex, very mi-
nutely and not very densely puuctate; punctures subasperate, evenly distrib-
uted; a narrow line along the middle iinpuuctate; at the base there is a very
tine median carina. Elytra at base nearly one-third wider than the prothorax;
sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate posteriorly; together bioadly, angularly
and extremely feebly emarginate behind; disk feebly convex, slightly longer
than wide, distinctly longer than the pronotum, feebly impressed on the suture
toward base, rather coarsely and densely punctate toward the suture and
base, excessively minutely and slightly more sparsely so exteriorly and api-
cally; suture finely margined with a narrow elevated border which is depress-
ed and much narrower at the scutellurn. Abdomen at base slightly narrower
than the elytra; sides very feebly divergent and nearly straight to the apex of
the fourth segment; fifth as long as the two preceding together; surface
broadly and feebly convex, extremely minutely and densely punctate. Legs
finely punctate, rather short and robust; first joint of the posterior tarsi one-
third longer than the second, slightly shorter than the fifth. Length 3.3 mm.

California; (Mt. Diablo, Contra Costa Co. 2).

The specimens are both females:6 the sixth segment is
broadly angulate behind, the apex scarcely at all ronnded,
the sides of the angle being broadly and very feebly arcuate.
The species is easily distinguished by its narrow head
semicircularly ronnded behind.

6. — In a male since obtained at Reno, Nevada, the fifth segment is
deeply and roundly emarginate at apex, the lateral angles being slightly pro-
duced; the surface has a deep oval impression, becoming extinct near the
base; the sixth segment is deeply sinuate at apex, the sinus fully twice as
wide as deep, with the edges slightly reflexed; the surface impressed.

[03]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 219

S. truncaticeps £>• sp. — Slender; sides nearly parallel; black, posterior
margins of the four basal abdominal segments paler; legs castaueous, paler
toward tip; palpi and anteunse reddish-brown throughout; pubescence very
fine, short, rather dense, pale fulvous in color, more conspicuous on the pro-
notum toward the apex; integuments shining. Head robust, rather depressed,
very slightly longer than wide; sides parallel, feebly arcuate behind the eyes;
base truncate and very feebly arcuate; angles rather broadly rounded; surface
rather feebly convex, broadly impressed between the antennae, very finely and
densely punctate, the punctures deep and much sparser in the middle anter-
iorly, slightly sparser posteriorly; antennas slightly shorter than the head and
prothorax together; basal joint distinctly longer than the next two combined,
second slightly more robust and a little shorter than the third, the latter much
longer than the fourth, joints four to ten decreasing gradually in length, the
latter slightly longer than wide. Prothorax distinctly narrower than the
head, widest slightly in advance of the middle, but slightly more than one-
third longer than wide; sides in the anterior third strongly convergent and
distinctly sinuate to the nuchal emargiuation which is broadly and feebly sin-
uate, in the posterior two-thirds moderately convergent and distinctly arcuate
to the base which is narrowly truncate in the middle; angles rather broadly
rounded; apical angles very obtuse and very broadly rounded; disk very
broadly and feebly convex, minutely and not very densely punctate, with a
narrow impunctate median line, having also a very short median basal carina
extending thence as a very fine, nearly obsolete stria nearly to the middle.
Elytra at base one-fifth wider than the prothorax; sides nearly parallel and
straight; together almost transverse^ truncate behind; disk rather feebly
convex, impressed on the suture toward the scutellum, finely, evenly and not
very densely punctate; punctures slightly finer exteriorly and apically; suture
fiuely margined, margin very gradually finer toward base. Abdomen at base
slightly narrower than the elytra; sides very feebly divergent and nearly
straight; surface rather feebly convex, very minutely and densely punctate ;
basal segments transversely impressed at base, with the impressed areas much
more coarsely and densely punctate; fifth segment much shorter than the two
preceding together. Legs rather short and slender; first joint of the posterior
tarsi scarcely one-fourth longer than the second, much shorter than the fifth.
Length 4.0 mm.

California; (Anderson Val., Mendocino Co. 1).

Described from the female in which the sixth segment is
broadly angulate, with the apex of the angulation scarcely
at all rounded; sides forming the angle broadly and feeblv
incurvate.

This fine species is readily distinguished from the pre-
ceding by its form, size and sexual characters.

220 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [64]

All the species of this genus which I have examined have
the bases of the first three or four dorsal segments of the
abdomen transversely impressed and densely and coarsely
punctate. In the Orus group the impressions are simply
finely reticulated or alutaceous and are entirely devoid of
punctures.

S. brunnipes Lee. — (Tr. Am. Ent. Soc. VIII, p. 179). —
This form is described as having "pale brown legs." I have
thus far seen no such species in California, the legs of all
the Californian species here described being very dark.

SCOP^IODERA n. g3Q.

The species composing this genus have a distinctly Stili-
cioid outline and do not resemble Scopseus in outward form.
In addition to the characters given before, we may mention
the much longer legs and longer and more slender tarsi.
Besides nitidus Lee. this genus will perhaps comprise several
allied species described from South America by Dr. Sharp,
and also those Central American species placed by this au-
thor in Scopasus under group 4, together with the Colom-
bian 8 . pulchellns Erichs.

LEPTORUS n. gen.

The species assignable to this genus have a peculiar ap-
pearance and differ considerably from Scopgeus. They are
elongate, very slender, parallel, with oblong prothorax hav-
ing the anterior angles more or less prominent, and the
sides parallel or slightly convergent behind and nearly
straight.

The genus is widely extended in its distribution through-
out the eastern portion of the United States, extending
through Mexico to Central America where it is represented
bjjilum, concolor, Salvini, obscurus, piceolus , brevipennis, and
umbra, recently described by Dr. Sharp in the Biologia
Centrali-Americana. It will also include exiguus Er. and

[65] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 221

picipes Cas. On the west coast it is replaced by Orus, hav-
ing a much wider neck and a distinctly different system of
punctuation; this appears to extend down the western slope
of the continent, also to Central America, where it is repre-
sented by a species recently described by Dr. Sharp from
Guatemala.

Leptorus is probably a large genus, and the several
forms, which are often closely allied, should be described
with great care and constant attention to details if they
are to be even approximately identified by future reviewers.

In addition to the characters pointed out in the preced-
ing table, it should be stated that the eyes are situated just
before the middle, on the sides of the head; they are strong-
ly, longitudinally oval, very coarsely granulated, and have
on their upper edge in the middle a large, rather shallow,
spongiose fovea bearing a single very long seta.

In Orus the eyes are larger, less coarsely granulated,
more broadly oval, and have near the upper border, and in
a transverse line with the posterior margin, a small, deej),
setigerous puncture which is entirely nude. The puncture
in this case, though very near the eye, is entirely disengaged
from it, while in Leptorus the fovea, which is of an entirely
different structure, intrudes slightly upon the continuity of
the edge.

L. texanilS n. &P- — Slender; sides parallel; moderately depressed; pale
rufo-testaceous, elytra clouded with piceous toward base; abdomen piceous,
very slightly paler toward tip; antennas testaceous throughout; legs paid
fiavate; pubescence excessively fine aud short, dense except on the pronotuni
where it is sparse; integuments alutaceous, except the pronotuni which is
polished. Head slightly longer than wide; sides parallel, very feebly arcu-
ate behind the eyes; base transversely truncate; angles narrowly rounded;
surface transversely and rather strongly convex, excessively minutely and
densely punctate; punctures impressed, deep, slightly sparser along the
middle; eyes rather prominent, at twice their length from the base; autenme
slightly shorter than the head and prothorax together, basal joint slightly
longer than the next two combined, second slightly longer aud more robust
thau the third, joints four to ten decreasing distinctly in length, the former

16— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. C. Issued November 27, 188G.

/

222 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [66]

slightly longer than wide, the latter a little wider than long. Prothorax very
slightly narrower than the head, one-third longer than wide, widest at one-
fourth the length from the apex; sides thence extremely feebly convergent
and nearly straight to the base, and very rapidly so and very feebly sinuate
to the apex which is very narrow; anterior angles obtuse, slightly rounded;
posterior rather broadly rounded; base broadly and very feebly arcuate; disk
transversely and feebly convex, excessively minutely punctate; punctures
about one-half as wide and more than twice as distant as those of the head,
slightly more sparse iu the middle, where there is a narrow impunctate line,
and toward base a very fine, feeble and obsolete median stria. Elytra slightly
wider than the prothorax; sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate posteriorly;
together broadly, angularly and very feebly emarginate behind; disk one-
fourth longer than wide, slightly longer than the pronotum, very feebly im-
pressed on the suture toward the base, extremely finely and rather feebly
punctate; punctures evenly distributed, scarcely as sparse as those of the
pronotum, distinctly asperate; suture finely margined with an elevated line
which is much finer near the scutellum. Abdomen at base slightly narrower
than the elytra and slightly narrower than at the apex of the fourth segment,
rather strongly convex, excessively finely, densely and subasperately punc-
tate; first four segments equal in length, the fifth one-half longer. Legs
rather short and robust; joints of the posterior tarsi decreasing very grad-
ually and uniformly iu length, first slightly louger than the second and
shorter than the fifth. Length 2.5 mm.

Texas; (El Paso 2).

The type is a male, the sixth ventral segment being nar-
rowly and deeply emarginate: emargination very small, dis-
tinctly deeper than wide, sides nearly parallel and straight,
bottom broadly rounded. In the female the sixth segment
is broadly and feebly angulate, the apex being broadly
rounded.

L. bicolor u. sp. — Slender; sides parallel; moderately convex; pale rnfo-
testaceous, four basal segments of abdomen piceous-black, last two slightly
paler; elytra clouded with piceous at base near the scutellum; antenna;
throughout and legs pale rufo-testaceous, the latter slightly more flavate;
pubescence extremely short and fine, rather dense on the elytra and abdo-
men. Head slightly longer than wide; sides behind the eyes parallel and
very feebly arcuate; base truncate; angles narrowly rounded; eyes moderate,
slightly prominent, on the sides just before the middle; front transversely and
evenly convex, minutely reticulate, extremely minutely and rather densely
punctate; punctures more dense toward the eyes, less dense along the middle;
antenna? one-half longer than the head, second joint slightly longer and more
robust than the third, joints two to five longer than wide, six to ten shorter,

[67] NORTH AMERICAN COLBOPTERA. 223

equal in length, the latter slightly transverse. Prolhorax widest at one-
fourth its length from the apex, where it is scarcely as wide as the head, one-
fourth longer than wide; anterior angles very narrowly rounded, decidedly
prominent; sides thence strongly convergent and feebly sinuate to the neck,
which is not excessively narrow, and distinctly convergent and very feebly
arcuate to the base which is transversely truncate in the middle, two-thirds
as wide as the disk; angles somewhat narrowly rounded; disk transversely
and feebly convex, very minutely reticulate or subrugulose; excessively,
minutely punctate; punctures finer and more sparse than those of the
head, with a very narrow indistinct median impunctate line, and, toward
base a very feeble median carina which is finely striate along its crest.
Elytra at base very slightly wider than the prouotum; sides nearly par-
allel, feebly arcuate; together very feebly and broadly emarginate behind;
disk distinctly longer than wide, one-fifth longer than the prothorax; feebly
convex, broadly and feebly impressed along the suture, extremely minutely,
evenly and rather densely punctate. Abdomen very slightly narrower toward
base, feebly convex, very minutely and densely punctate. Anterior femora
nearly twice as robust as the intermediate, abruptly and deeply sinuate on
the inner edge near the apex; tarsi very feebly dilated, finely and densely
pubescent beneath. Length 2.3 mm.

Texas; (Austin 5).

The anterior tibiae of the male exhibit very striking char-
acters; they are distinctly dilated and have along the flat-
tened interior face six parallel, oblique rows Df short,
inclined seta?, the rows becoming shorter toward the apex.
The four posterior femora are distinctly compressed and
arcuately bent. The male has the sixth segment broadly
sinuate at apex, the sinus being four or five times as wide
as deep and rather narrowly rounded, the sides being very
gradually recurved; from beneath the sinuation, and appar-
ently attached to the seventh segment, there protrudes a
robust ligala, slightly longer than wide, strongly convex on
its lower face, abruptly constricted at base, squarely trunc-
ate at apex, with the angles not rounded; the upper face is
broadly concave, serving as a rest and gnicle for the male
generative organ; the latter in the present species is very
complex, being cylindrical, with two unequal lateral pro-
cesses, angulate on the right and broadly rounded on the
left.

224 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [68]

The peculiarity of the anterior tibia? is apparently gene-
ric, or at least affects a large number of species.

L. versicolor n. sp. — Very slender; sides parallel; colors and pubescence
as in bicolor, except that the abdomen is datk fuscous and slightly paler at
apex. Head rather large; distinctly longer than wide; sides behind the eyes
feebly but distinctly divergent and feebly arcuate to the base which is broadly
and distinctly sinuate; angles rather prominent and narrowly rounded; front
broadly and feebly convex, not reticulate, shining, very minutely, evenly and
rather densely punctate; punctures separated by two or three times their
own diameter; antennae one-half longer than the head, second joint much
longer and more robust than the third, fifth very slightly longer than wide,
tenth very slightly wider than long. Prothorax widest at one-fourth its
length from the apex, distinctly narrower than the head; anterior angles
narrowly rounded, prominent; sides thence strongly convergent and distinctly
sinuate to the neck which is very slender, and distinctly convergent and
nearly straight to the base which is transversely truncate and three-fourths,
as wide as the disk; angles somewhat narrowly rounded; disk one-third
longer than wide, feebly convex, very minutely, evenly punctate, scarcely
visibly subrugulose; punctures scarcely perceptibly more sparsely distributed
than those of the head; median stria toward base nearly obliterated. Elytra
at base scarcely perceptibly wider than the prothorax; sides distinctly diverg-
ent and very feebly arcuate; disk very feebly convex, very feebly impressed
along the suture toward base, minutely and feebly subrugulose, finely,
evenly, rather densely and subasperately punctate; slightly longer than
wide and just visibly longer than the pronotum. Abdomen nearly as in
bicolor, slightly more sparsely punctate. Length 2.1-2.5 mm.

Texas; (Austin and Waco).

The sixth segment in the male is broadly sinuate at apex,
the sinus being slightly less than four times as wide as
deep, rather acutely rounded; ligula long and narrow, per-
fectly flat, gradually wider toward the apex which is broadly
and extremely feebly sinuate, angles rounded.

The anterior femora and tibiae are as in bicolor, but the
former are not so robust as in that species. The form of
the head and the sexual characters will serve to distinguish
this species from the preceding, to which it is otherwise
closely allied.

L. longiceps "• sp. — Very slender, rather convex; "sides parallel; head
and elytra pale brownish-testaceous; prothorax paler, more flavate; abdomen
dark fuscous, scarcely paler at apex; autenna3 and legs throughout pale rufo-

[09]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 225

testaceous; pubescence fine and dense throughout, longer on the head, less
conspicuous on the pronotum. Head much longer than wide; sides parallel
and distinctly arcuate; base transversely truncate; augles not prominent
though rather narrowly rounded; front transversely, rather strongly convex,
extremely minutely, feebly, evenly and not densely punctate; eyes at much
more than twice their length from the base; antennae short, scarcely longer
than tho head, rather robust, second jjint very slightly longer than wide,
slightly longer and much more robust than the third, tenth rather strongly
transverse. Proihorax very slightly narrower than the head, widest at one-
third its length from the apex; anterior angles very broadly rounded; sides
almost parallel and distinctly arcuate; base transversely truncate, angles
rather broadly rounded; disk nearly one-third longer than wide, moderately
and evenly, cylindrically convex, very minutely, evenly and rather densely
punctate; punctures appreciably closer than those of the head; throughout
the basal three-fifths there is a fin9, well-marked, median stria. Elytra at
base distinctly wider than the prothorax aud fully as wide as the he id; sides
parallel and very feebly arcua'e; together distinctly longer than wide and just
visibly longer than the pronotum; surface rather feebly convex, rather nar-
rowly and feebly impressed along the suture toward base, very minutely,
evenly and densely punctate; punctures slightly coarser aud just appreciably
more dense than those of the pronotum. Abdomen very slightly narrowed to-
ward base, excessively minutely, feebly and rather densely punctate. Femora
and tibiae as in bicolor. Length 1.9 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

This species is aberrant not only in the more broadly
rounded apical angles of the prothorax, the elongate head
and shorter antennae, but in the smaller eyes, more com-
pressed and truncate third maxillary palpal joint, and espe-
cially in the position of the spongiose setigerous fovea,
which is not at the middle of the upper margin of the eye
as in the other species, but behind the eye one-half the
length of the latter, and in a line with its upper margin.
The neck also is relatively much less slender than in the
other species. With exception of Leptogenius brevicornis it
is the smallest Psederide described from our territories.
Unfortunately there is before me but a single representa-
tive, a female, so that the sexual characters of the male can-
not be given; the form is very distinct, however, and will
be easily recognizable.

The Central American species described by Dr. Sharp,

226 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [70]

alluded to above, are apparently all distinct from those here
brought to notice. Filum differs in the coloration of the
antennae and in the sexual characters; concolor decidedly in
coloration of the entire body; the oedeagus, however, is ap-
parently similar to that of bicolor; Salvini appears to be
closely allied to versicolor, but as no ligula is described in
alluding to the male sexual characters,7 and as the elytra
appear from the figure to be longer and broader, and the
apical angles of the prothorax much less pronounced, the
two species are probably distinct, more especially in consid-
eration of the very different faunal regions involved. Ob-
scurus and piceolus are very distinct in color; brevipennis and
umbra differ altogether in structure. Exiguus Er. differs
radically in coloration.

Color appears to be a very constant character, as it is
practically the same throughout large series of several spe-
cies which I have before me.

OKUS Cas.

This genus, and the closely related Leptorus, constitute a
group differing remarkably from Scopseus and Scopasodera
in the structure of the intercoxal portion of the prosternum.
In Orus the posterior edge of the prosternum is more swol-
len than in Leptorus, and the median portion is, posterior-
ly, elevated into a longitudinal ridge which becomes the
lower edge of the intercoxal lamina. 0. punctatus Cas. and
the species here described are the only known representa-
tives of this genus in the United States.3

7. — The ligula is present in all the species of this genus, but, proba-
bly only before copulation, is securely held within the long angular cleft of
the seventh segment, and is only pushed down and out of the cleft, so as to
be plainly visible, after sexual connection has occurred.

8. — By a very regrettable error it was stated by me (Bull. Cal. Acad.
Sci. I, p. 315) that the ligula in Orus is bicuspid. One of the very minute
teeth was in all probability hidden under a particle of dust, as the appear-
ance in the specimen examined was undoubtedly that of a bicuspid ligula;

[71]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 227

0. parallelus u- sp. — Narrow, rather depressed; sides parallel; piceous-
black throughout; legs rnfo-piceous; tarsi and auteunre throughout paler,
rufo-fuscous; pubescence fine, rather sparse on the prouotum and elytra,
denser and more conspicuous on the head and abdomen; integuments polished,
head subalutaceous. Head very slightly longer than wide; sides distinctly
convergent anteriorly from the base, distinctly arcuate behind the eyes; base
broadly and extremely feebly arcuate: angles broarlly rounded; surface broadly
and feebly convex, very feebly impressed in the middle anteriorly, very mi-
nutely and densely punctate, also extremely finely aud rather feebly subrugu-
lose; punctures not sparser but rather coarser along the middle; antennae
slightly shorter than the head aud prothorax together; basal jniut slightly
longer than the next two together, joints two to four subequal in length,
slightly elongate, fifth very slightly shorter, joints five to ten decreasing rap-
idly in length, the former distinctly longer than wide, the latter very slightly
wider thau long. Prothorax very slightly narrower than the head, oblong; sides
extremely feebly convergent from apex to base and nearly st might; anterior
angles obtuse and broadly rounded; sides thence very strongly convergent to
the nuchal emarginatiou which is two-fifths as wide as the disk and feebly in-
curvate; basal angles broadly rounded; disk transversely aud feebly convex,
two-fifths longer than wide, rather finely, feebly and densely puuetate; very
narrow median area impunctate throughout the length. Elytra at base
slightly wider than the pronotum; sides very feebly divergent, feebly arcuate
toward the apex; together broadly, angularly and very feebly emarginate be-
hind; disk slightly longer than wide and slightly longer than the pronotum,
feebly convex, broadly and feebly impressed on the suture, more particularly
near the base, finely, rather densely, evenly and subasperately punctate; su-
ture finely margined with an elevated border which becomes rather abruptly
less than one-half as wide near thescutellum, where also it is not so strongly
elevated. Abdomen at base slightly narrower than the elytra; sides very feebly
divergent posteriorly; surface broadly convex, extremely minutely and densely

subsequent observation, however, of cleaner and more perfect specimens, re-
veals the fact that the ligula is tricuspid, hence the statements made upou
the apparent relationship of the genus with Lithocharis (1. c. II, p. 36) t
which were based primarily upon the assumption of a bideutate ligula must
be considered ill-founded. The wide departure of the genus from Scopaeus in
general form, but particularly in the relatively wide neck and prosternal struc-
ture, is very convincing proof that the time has come for a division of the
Scopaeoid species into distinct generic groups, and also points strongly to the
advisability of a division of Fthe Paederini into two sections depending upon
the formation of the ligula.

Although Dr. Sharp has, in the Biologia Centrali-Anericana, correctly
placed the genus near Scopseus since the above was originally written, I still
deem it proper to publish the rectification iu the same work in which the
error was committed.

228 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [72]

punctate; fifth segment two-thirds longer than the fourth. Legs rather short,
posterior tarsi sbort, first and second joints equal in length, slightly longer
than wide, much shorter than the fifth; tibiae obliquely truncate and finely
fimbriate at tip. Length 3.3 mm.

California; (Napa and Sonoma Cos. 4).

The specimens are all females, the sixth segment being
broadly rounded behind. The present species is remarka-
ble for its long parallel prothorax, which is scarcely at all
produced in front of the apical augles. It ma}r be distin-
guished from punctatus by its slightly larger size and much
finer and denser pronotal punctuation.

The oblique apical truncation of the hind tibiae appears
to characterize a large number of genera; the truncation is
slightly excavated and bordered exteriorly by an erect line
of long, slender, closely-placed setae.

The tabular statement of our Paederini given in this
Bulletin (Vol. II., p. 38), requires modification since the
publication of the Central American genera by Dr. Sharp
in the Biologia Centrali-Americana, and as the assumption
upon which the positions of one or two genera are assigned
has been found to be erroueous, the following table is
offered as a substitute until the entire group can be revised.
This scheme would be much more useful if it could have
included all the American genera, but as in the present state
of literature there would be considerable doubt regarding
the position of several, I have thought best to restrict it for
the present to the genera occurring north of Mexico.

I — Ligula not tricuspid, usually bilobed.
Prosternum membranous under and behind the coxre.

P.3EDERI.

A — Fourth tarsal joint normal, not bilobed.

Antennas anteriorly geniculate, first joint greatly elongate.

Neck broad; abdomen c.iriuate at base Hesperobhim.

Neck narrow; abdomen not carinate AbabactllS,

Antennas posteriorly geniculate, basal joint moderate in leugth.

First joint of the posterior tarsi not longer than the second.

[73]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 229

Labium bilobed Lathrobium.

Labium transversely truncate Trachysectus.

First joint of the posterior tarsi distinctly longer than the second.
Neck rather wide, not less than one-third as wide as the prothorax.
Anterior tarsi very slightly or not at all dilated.
Labium 4-dentate.

Metasternum very long Caloderma.

Metasternum very short OligopterilS.

Labrum bidentate Medon.

Labrum unidentate Lithocharis •

Lxbrum unarmed.

Deeply emarginate Dacnochilus.

Broadly and rather feebly sinuate Lena.

Labrum entire.

Elytra much shorter than the prothorax Liparocephalus.

Anterior tarsi strongly dilated.

Labrum unidentate Aderocharis.

Labrum entire, truncate Ramona.

Neck extremely slender; labrum bidentate StilicUS.

B — Fourth tarsal joint bilobed.

Librurn triangularly emarginate, unarmed Paederus.

Presternum corneous under and behind the coxae; the side pieces of the
pronotum connate with the intercoxal process.

Sunii.

Third joint of the maxillary palpi normal; fourth minute, subulate.
Posterior tarsi with the fourth joint lobed beneath.

Labrum bidentate Slinius.

Labium 'arge, rounded, ciliate; elytra shorter than the prothorax.

Stilicopsis.
Third joint of maxillary palpi securiform; fourth minute, not subulate,
triangular, erect.
Fourth joint of the posterior tarsi not lobed, normal LeptOgeniuS.

II — Ligula tricuspid.

Prosternal intercoxal luuina deeply emarginate anteriorly; neck extremely
slender.
Inflexed posterior portion of prouotal hypomera well developed.

Scopaeus.

Inflexed portion rudimentary Scopaeodera,

Prosternal intercoxal lamina interiorly arcuate anteriorly.

Neck extremely slender LeptorilS.

Neck one-third as wide as the prothorax Oms.

230 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [74]

The sequence of genera in the above tabular statement is,
it must be confessed, unnatural in approximating Stilicus
and Prederus, these being undoubtedly widely divergent
forms. It merely serves to show, however, that it is im-
possible to present in a linear arrangement, groups com-
posed of elements which are divergent from one or more
central types, and which can only be represented graphi-
cally b}^ the diagrams adopted in chemical science to exhibit
the structure of a compound molecule, the various affinities
being shown by connecting lines.

If a linear arrangement be pursued, based upon the mod-
ification of any special organ or part of the body, similar
breaks must inevitably occur. Assuming, as above, that
the structure of the presternum is of more importance than
that of the tarsi, the latter being in turu of greater moment
than that of the labrum or mandibles, we should isolate
Paederus as a group intermediate between the Lathrobii
and the Sunii, and it would not be consistent to separate
them by the the latter group, although it may include forms
which in a radial arrangement would be brought very near
certain types of the Lathrobii. Such for instance are
Stilicus and Echiaster, in distinguishing between which the
prosternal character loses some of the importance which it
is supposed to possess, unless we regard the similarity of
habitus as a mere coincidence. The latter I have assumed
in the case of Stilicus and Scopaaus.

Notes.

Ababactus Sharp. — This genus is represented in our
fauna by A. nactus Horn, and A. pallidiceps Cas.

Trachysectus Cas. — Represented by T. confluens Say.

Caloderma Cas. — Recent investigation shows this genus
to be similar in prosternal structure to Medon, from which
it is distinguished by several important characters. The
labrum is short, small, conical, very feebly explanate near

[75] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 231

the sides, triemarginaie, the notches being similar in shape,
deep, the middle about twice as large as the lateral; later-
ally the apex is broadly sinuate, thus giving four small,
acute, prominent denticles. In Medou, as represented by
M.fusculus Mann., the labrum is much larger, nearly flat,
broadly explanate at the sides, not at all sinuate laterally at
the apex, so that it is at most bidentate.

In comparing the European Medon. as for instance brun-
neus Er., with many of the American genera, there is one
feature relating to the metasternum which appears to have
been generally overlooked, and which is indicated on the
upper surface by the length of the elytra. The metaster-
num in the European genus is remarkably short, strongly
convex, and much shorter than the intermediate coxse. This
appears to be a rather important character in the present
comparison, and distinguishes Caloderma at once, for in this
genus the metasternum is unusually well developed, and is
more than one-half longer than the coxa3, which in turn are
relatively distinctly smaller than in Medon.

The species having a rugulose pronotum are the most
highly developed forms of the genus, and should be consid-
ered typical, although much less numerous in species than
the form with punctate pronotum.

Oligopterus Cas. — Allied to Medon in prosternal and
metasternal structure. It differs from Medon in the struc-
ture of the labrum, which is here distinctly 4-dentate, and
from the more typical forms of that genus in the very
widely distant gular sutures, rapidly divergent toward base,
in this respect being more closely allied to Pseudomedon
Rey. It differs from Caloderma in its very short metaster-
num.

Medon Steph. — This genus as represented in our fauna
will consist for the present of the two groups of species
previously placed by me in Lithocharis. There is another
group of nondescript species, occurring in the Southern

232 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [76]

States, which may also be considered as Medon until future
investigation can be made with more ample material. These
three groups will then probably give rise to four allied
genera, or perhaps more properly, subgenera.

Lithocharis Lacord. — Represented in our fauna by och-
racea Grav. , alutacea Cas., and quadricollis Cas. The last
two differ from the first in sexual characters — although they
have the characteristic comb-like sculpture at the apex of
the fifth segment — and in the smaller, more acute and prom-
inent labral tooth.

Metaxyodonta Cas. = Lithocharis Lacord.

Liparocephalus Mann. — No description of the anterior
tarsi is given, and the position of the genus is, assumed.

Aderocharis Sharp. — Represented by A. corticina Grav.,
and possibly also by tdbacina Cas.

Echiaster Er. — No species of this genus has yet occurred
within the United States, and it is therefore omitted from
the table.

Sciocharis Arrib. — Although Dr. Sharp intimates that this
genus may occur within our limits, I have not yet seen it.
It may be easily recognized by the very robust first and
second joints of the antennae. The labrum is bidentate
and the integuments are generally very finely and densely
punctate.

APOCELLUS Erich*.

A. niger *>• sp. — Moderately robust, convex; upper surface intense black
throughout, except the elytral suture which is dark piceo-testaceons; metas-
ternum, abdomen and head beneath blick; prosternum and side-pieces paler,
piceo-testaceous; antennas same toward base, black toward tip; legs pale
luteo-testaccous, femora shaded piceous in the outer half; pubescence ex-
tremely sparse; integuments highly polished. Head distinctly longer than
wide; sides behind the eyes distinctly convergent aud rather strongly arcuate;
base truncate and very feebly iucurvate iu the middle; augles very broadly
rounded, coarctate with the sides; eyes small, in the middle, rather promi-
nent; on a transverse line slightly less than their own length behind them,

[77]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 233

there are two small, widely distant, deeply impressed occipital foveas; antenna!
tuberculations slightly convergent posteriory; epistoma distinct, declivous,
wider than long, very feebly arcuate at apex; labrum short, broad, rather
strongly and evenly emarginate throughout its width; antennas slightly
longer than the head and prothorax together, rather strongly incrassate; sec-
ond joint much shorter than the third, longer than the fourth, tenth very
slightly wider than long. Prolhorav widest at one-third its length from the
apex, where it is slightly wider than long and as wide as the head across the
eyes; sides thence very strongly convergent to the apex which is squarely
truncate and about one-half as wide as the disk, and ratber feebly though dis-
tinctly convergent, evenly aud distinctly arcuate to the base; the latter
broadly and extremely feebly arcuate, two-thirds as wide as the disk; angles
very obtuse and rather broadly rounded; sides at the apical third rather
broadly rounded; disk strongly convex, with a few very widely scattered se-
tigerous punctures. Elytra at base slightly wider than the prothorax; sides
rather strongly divergent, distinctly arcuate toward the apices; together trans-
versely truncate behind; disk rather depressed, abruptly strongly declivous
at the sides, slightly wider than long, nearly one-fourth longer than the pro-
notum; suture narrowly and strongly margined with an elevated line; surface
having a few very small, widely scattered, setigerous punctures having a ten-
dency to lineal arrangement. Abdomen at base very slightly narrower than
the elytra; sides parallel aud nearly straight; border very thin, erect and deep,
nearly equal on the five basal segments; surface very finely and sparsely pu-
bescent and punctate toward the sides, almost impunctate in the middle.
Legs moderate in length; femora robust; third joint of the posterior tarsi less
than twice as long as the first and second together. Length 2.8-3.3 mm.

Texas; (Galveston 5).

The description is taken from the male, the sexual char-
acters of which are of the usual form in this section of the
genus; the double, posteriorly excavated emargination of
the sixth segment is scarcely more than one-third the width
of the segmeut, and the arched laininae of the seventh nearly
meet over the broadly rounded excavation; eighth segment
broadly impressed. It is a very distinct species and belongs
immediately after crassicornis in the list of the genus as
published by me (Cont. II, p. 153). The order of the species
has been changed in the recently published check-list of
Mr. S. Henshaw, so that the least characteristic forms of
the genus there head the list, while the species upon Avhich
Erichsoa founded the genus appear last. My only commen-
tary is a passing allusion; I cannot refrain, however, from

234 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [78]

expressing the opinion that the reversal was unnecessary,
and that the order proposed is far less scientific than that
published in the revision above referred to.

Apocellus brevipennis Cas. — Five specimens of this species
were recently taken, also at Galveston, Texas; it was orig-
inally described from a single specimen from Louisiana.

PHKEOPTERUS Mots.

P. filicomis *>• SP- — Kather robust, depressed, black throughout; tro-
chanters slightly paler, dark rufous; legs piceous-black; tibiae much paler and
rufous toward tip; tarsi rufous; palpi fuscous; antennas black throughout;
pubescence rather long, very dense, subrecumbent and conspicuous, fusco-
cinereous in color; legs densely pubescent; tibia? abruptly nearly glabrous
in the apical fifth or sixth; tarsi glabrous, joints finely spinulose at the apices;
shining. Head as long as wide, depressed, trausversely and rather strongly
impressed between the antenna?, deeply and widely bii'mpressed between
the eyes; surface finely and rather densely punctate; ocelli very minute,
round, distant, on a line slightly in advance of the posterior margins of the
eyes; the latter very prominent; fourth joint of the maxillary palpi slightly
more than twice as long as the third, the latter not three times as long
as wide; antenna? very long, slender and filiform, not in the least iucrassate,
two-thirds as long as the body; second joint much shorter than the third,
joints three to ten subequal in length, much elongated, eleventh slightly
longer, fusiform. Prolhorax widest slightly before the mi:ldle; sides thence
very feebly convergent, feebly and evenly arcuate to the obtuse and rather
broadly rounded anterior angles and somewhat strongly convergent, rather
strongly and evenly incurvate throughout to the basal angles, which are
nearly right and not at all rounded; base broadly and extremely feebly
arcuate throughout, three-fourths as wide as the disk and distinctly narrower
than the apex; the latter transversely truncate, feebly excurvate toward the
apical angles; disk scarcely one-third wider than long, transversely, rather
strongly and perfectly evenly convex; having at the middle of each side,
a very deep punctiform impression; flanks thence to the basal angles very
abruptly and strongly declivous; surface very finely, evenly and densely
punctate; punctures perforate. Elytra at base slightly wider than the pro-
notum; sides moderately divergent; humeral and apical angles very broadly
rounded; together broadly arcuate behind with the inner angles abruptly
and rather strongly rounded; disk nearly one-third longer than wide, slightly
more than twice as long as the pronotum, broadly and feebly convex, rather
coarsely, very evenly and densely puuctate; punctures impressed, slightly
more distant than those of the pronotum. Abdomen very short behind the
elytra, much wider than long, subalutaceous, very minutely, evenly and
rather closely punctate. Legs rather slender; first joint of the posterior

[79]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 235

tarsi slightly longer than the next two together; anterior tarsi distinctly
dilated. Under surface of the abdomen minutely, densely and evenly
punctate. Length 5.0 mm.

California; (Placer Co. 1). Mr. Fuchs.

The mesosternum is minutely and strongly rugulose and
alutaceous toward the middle, finely and imperfectly car-
inate posteriorly, more strongly so anteriorly, terminating
near the anterior margin in a small, abrupt, acute tubercle.
The abrupt loss of the dense pubescence at the tips of the
tibia? is very remarkable.

This species is rather smaller and much more densely
punctate than longipalpus, and has a much less transverse
prothorax.

AMPHICHROUM Kraatz.

A. flavicome u- SP- — Moderately robust, depressed; pronotum and elytra
glabrous; abdomen very sparsely pubescent laterally; male black, with the
Literal edges of the pronotum and elytra testaceous; female having the entire
disk of the pronotum rufo-testaceous and the elytra luteous, except the
suture, which is piceous; antennae pale fiavate throughout; legs piceo-testa-
ceous ; integuments polished. Head scarcely longer than wide, depressed,
densely, rather coarsely and deeply punctate in the middle; having a small,
punctiform impression at the base of each antenna; obliquely and very
deeply bifoveolate between the eyes; antennte moderate in length, less than
one-half as long as the body, rather slender; basal joint three-fourths as long
as the next two together, second two-thirds as long as the third and about as
long as the tenth, joints three to ten decreasing perceptibly in length and
increasing in thickness. Prothorax two-thirds wider than long, widest in the
middle; sides strongly and nearly evenly rounded, slightly more strongly
convergent toward the apex, which is broadly and very feebly emarginate
and equal in width to the base and to the head; base truncate; apical and
basal angles broadly rounded, the former slightly the more narrowly so; disk
moderately and evenly convex, more strongly so at the sides, which are
narrowly and abruptly explauate, extremely sparsely, rather finely and very
unevenly punctate except along the sides and base, where the punctures are
much denser. Elytra at base very slightly wider than the prothorax; sides
very feebly divergent and nearly straight; together truncate behind; humeral
and exterior apical angles broadly rounded; disk as long as wide, slightly
less than twice as long as the prothorax, depressed, more convex at the sides,
narrowly elevated along the suture except near the base, feebly, rather
sparsely and unevenly punctate. Abdomen as wide and long as the elytra;
aides strongly arcuate; surface shining, extremely finely and feebly punctate,

236 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [80]

very minutely, feebly and transversely reticulata. Legs moderate in length;
anterior tarsi feebly dilated. Length 3.5-LO mm.

California; (San Francisco 2; Lake Co. 2.) Mr. Fuchs.

The pronotum has a very small impressed fovea in the
middle at the base which is sometimes absent and some-
times replaced by a larger and more irregular impression
which, however, is not transverse as in fioribundum.

This species resembles fioribundum Lee. in several char-
acters, especially in the punctate head and coloration of the
bod}r, but differs remarkably in the antennae, which are of a
pale and pure flavate throughout in the former; the anten-
nae are piceous in fioribundum except the three basal joints,
which are paler.

In all the species of Amphichroum here described, there
are visible on the first, or sometimes the second, exposed dor-
sal segment of the abdomen two small, approximate patches
of a more or less transversely oval shape, on which the pu-
bescence is excessively short and dense and usually of a
pale cinereous or bright fulvous color; they are also to be
seen in a similar position, but oblique in direction, on the
abdomen of Homalium algarum Cas. These pubescent and
very minutely rugulose areas, which are probably sensitive,
are not sexual, and appear to characterize a large portion of
the Homalini.

A. alutaceum u- sp. — Form rather slender, depressed; head and abdomen
black; pronotum, elytra, palpi and antennas toward tip rather pale castane-
ous; basal margin and sides of the pronotum very narrowly pale flavate;
antennae same toward base; elytral suture dark rufo-testaceous; legs dark
brownish-testaceous; pronotum and elytra rather densely pubescent; head
and abdomen very sparsely so; integuments shining. Head longer than
wide; surface depressed, impunctate, coarsely granulose, shining, broadly
and distinctly impressed between the antennas, obliquely, very finely and
feebly bistriate between the eyes; ocelli small, approximate, distinct;
antennas scarcely two-fifths as long as the body, slender, slightly incrassate;
basal joint very slightly longer than the second; joints two to ten nearly eqn; 1
in length, the latter one-half longer than wide, eleventh longer, obliquely
pointed at tip, cylindrical at base. Prothorax widest in the middle, where it
is scarcely one-fourth wider than long; sides nearly parallel, feebly arcuate

[81]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 237

throughout; apex very slightly narrower than the base, broadly aud evenly
sinuate; angles rather narrowly rounded; base very feebly arcuate through-
out, angles rather broadly rounded; disk broadly, very evenly and rather
feebly convex, very narrowly and abruptly explanate at the sides anteriorly,
slightly more broadly and less abruptly so posteriorly, extremely finely,
evenly and rather closely punctate; punctures slightly asperate; intervals
fiuely subgranulose, subilutaceous. Elylra at base very slightly wider than
the pronotum; sides rather distinctly but very feebly divergent, very
feebly arcuate; humeral angles narrowly, apical broadly, rounded; together
truncate behind; disk depressed, broadly impressed in the middle; as long as
wide, slightly less than one-half louger than the pronotum, rather coarsely,
very evenly, closely and rather strongiy punctate; punctures subasperate;
intervals polished. Abdomen at base as wide as the elytra, at the apex of the
third segment nearly one-tourth wider; sides strongly arcuate; border rather
broad, feebly inclined; surface depressed; three visible basal segments
transversely impressed at base; segments two to four finely, evenly and rather
densely punctate; segments one, five aud six impunctate; second visible
segment with two small, transverse, approximate, minutely rugulose and
apparently pubescent patches. Legs moderate iu length, slender. Under
surface piceous-black, with exception of the prouotal and elytral hypomera,
which are flavate. Length 3.5 mm.

California; (Marin Co. 1).

This species resembles veteraior in the general character
of its sculpture and pubescence, but differs greatly in
general form, and especially in its much less transverse
prothorax with but slightly arcuate sides.

A. pilosellum n- sp.— Males slender; females rather robust, depressed;
color rather pale reddish-testaceous, nearly similar in the two sexes; head
posteriorly, prothorax anteriorly, and elytra broadly aud very indefinitely
toward the suture and apices, clouded with a slightly darker Cistaneous
tint; abdomen intense black throughout; antennae fuscous toward tip, basal
joints pale testaceous; legs rufo-picaous; pronotum and elytra fiuely and
sparsely pubescent, integuments shining. Head very slightly longer than
wide, rather depressed, glabrous, finely reticulate or subalutaceous, impunc-
tate, broadly and rather feebly impressed between the antennae, feebly,
finely and obliquely bistriate between the eyes; autenuae rather short, mode-
rately iucrassate, less than one-half as long as the body; basal joint but
slightly louger than the third, second nearly as long as the first, as long as
the fourth, and slightly longer than the tenth, joints four to eight equal iu
length, eight to ten decreasing, the latter but slightly longer than wide.
Prothorax widest iu the middle, one-half wider thau long; sides strongly
rounded in the middle, feebly convergent aud nearly straight anteriorly and

17— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. 0. Issued November 27, 1886.

238 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [82]

posteriorly; basal angles broadly rounded; apical more narrowly so; disk
evenly and moderately convex, rather broadly and gradually explanate and
feebly reflexei at the sides, and especially near the basal angles, very obso-
letely impressed along the middle and in front of the scutellum, finely reticu-
late or snbalutaceous, very finely, feebly and rather sparsely and evenly
punctate. Elytra at base very slightly narrower than the prothorax; sides very
feebly divergent, feebly arcuate; disk depressed, very slightly longer than wide,
two-thirds longer than the pronotum, rather strongly, coarsely and sparsely
punctate; intervals polished; puuctures tending to form coarse, transverse
rugulae. Abdomen as wide as and distinctly longer than the elytra; sides
rather feebly convergent posteriorly, on the first four segments feebly arcu-
ate; border depressed, scarcely at all inclined; surface polished, nearly im-
punctate in the middle, excessively minutely and feebly puuctulate toward
the sides. Legs slender; anterior tarsi very feebly dilated; first joint of the
posterior as long as the next three together. Length 2.5-3.6 mm.

California; (Lake Co. 7). Mr. Fuchs.

Described from the male, which is more slender than the
female. The species belongs near puberulum Fauv., but
differs in its longer elytra and much sparser elytral punctu-
ation.

A. veteratOf n. sp. — Moderately robust, depressed, dark piceous-brown;
antennas toward base, narrow side and basal margins of the pronotum, and
under surface of the head and prothorax, pale testaceous; abdomen black
throughout; femora piceo-testaceous; tibiae and tarsi darker, piceous; anten-
nae infuscate toward tip; palpi fuscous; head and pronotum subalutaceous;
pronotum and elytra finely and densely pubescent, the latter shining. Head
rather small, scarcely as wide as long, transversely and feebly impressed be-
tween the antennas, very finely, feebly and obliquely bistriate between the
eyes; surface rather coarsely and strongly reticulate or subgranulate, impunc-
tate; ocelli very small, round and distinct; antennae about one-half as long as
the body, moderately slender, all the joints distinctly elongate, joints four to
ten almost equal in length, the latter nearly one-half longer than wide, second
distinctly shorter than the third, the latter subequal in length to the first.
Prothorax anteriorly as wide as the head, widest in the middle; sides very
slightly more strongly convergent anteriorly than posteriorly, evenly and
rather feebly arcuate throughout; apex distinctly narrower than the base,
broadly and feebly sinuate; the latter truncate in the middle, broadly arcuate
toward the basal angles which are broadly rounded; apical broadly rounded,
slightly less so than the basal; disk nearly one-half wider than long, evenly
and very moderately convex, rather abruptly and very narrowly explanate at
the sides anteriorly, broadly and very gradually explanate and feebly reflexed
toward the basal angles, very obsoletely and vaguely impressed before the
scutellum, finely and very feebly subgranulate, very minutely, feebly, subas-

[83]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 239

perately, evenly and rather closely punctate. Elytra at base scarcely as wide
as the pronotum; sides very feebly divergent, very feebly arcuate; outer apical
augles rather narrowly rounded; together truncate behind; disk depressed,
quadrate, two-thirds longer than the pronotum, rather coarsely, very densely,
evenly, strongly and subasperately punctate. Abdomen as wide as and slightly
longer than the elytra; sides convergent and evenly arcuate to the apex; bo -
der rather strong, very slightly inclined; surface polished almost impunctate
in the middle, finely rather strongly and densely, subasperately punctate lat-
erally. Legs rather slender. Under surface finely, evenly and sparsely pubes-
cent; tibias finely pubescent, sparsely and minutely spinulose. Length 3.0
mm.

California; (Lake Co. 2). Mr. Fucks.

This species also belongs near puberulum, from which it
is easily distinguished by its much longer elytra. It bears
a very deceptive resemblance to the following species, so
that the identification and separation of the two will require
some care.

A. crassicome u. sp. — Moderately robust, depressed, piceous-black; head
dark rufous; basal third of the pronotum and the lateral and anterior mar-
gins very narrowly pale testaceous; just behind the elytral humeri there is
on each side a small, very indefinite paler spot; under surface of the abdomen
aud metasternum piceous-black; prosternum, head, legs throughout, palpi
and antenna? toward base, pale brownish-flavate; antennas toward tip piee-
ous; head and pronotum subalutaceous; elytra polished; head glabrous,
remainder finely and moderately densely pubescent. Head rather small,
finely reticulate aud subrugulose, transversely impressed between the anten-
nae, finely, deeply and obliquely bistriate between the eyes; ocelli large, flat,
not distinctly limited, round; antennte rather strongly incrassate, scarcely
one-half as long as the body; joints four to ten decreasing very slightly
in length, the latter slightly longer than wide. Prothorax scarcely more than
one-third wider than long; anterior angles much more narrowly rounded than
the posterior; form and sculpture nearly as in veterator; punctures slightly
coarser and more distinct. Elytra at base fully as wide as the pronotum;
outer apical angles rather broadly rounded; together quadrate, two-thirds
longer than the pronotum, nearly as in veterator, except that the punctures
are obliterated along the apex. Abdomen in form nearly as in veterator,
punctate throughout; punctures fine, asperate, evenly and rather closely
placed, and more distinct toward the sides. Legs slender. Length 3.3 mm.

California; (Siskiyou Co. 1). Mr. Behrens.
The fourth joint of the maxillary palpi is nearly circular
in cross-sections and convex throughout, while in all the

240 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [84]

other species which I have seen the fourth joint is more or
less deeply excavate interiorly, nearly throughout its length
and is, in addition, strongly bent in fiavicorne.

Although the present species bears a remarkably strong
resemblance to veterator in its sculpture, it may be distin-
guished by its sparser pubescence, slightly more elongate
prothorax, much deeper interocular strise, but especially
by the form of the ocelli, which in this species are fully
twice as wide as in veterator, and more indefinite in outline;
no dependence is placed on color as this is known to van*
greatly; it is, however, strikingly different in the represen-
tatives of the two species.

A. floribundum Lee. — One specimen which I have referred
to this species was collected by Mr. Fuchs in Lake Co.
The antennas are relativehr longer and more filiform than in
any here described, and are piceous except the first three
joints and the bases of some of the succeeding ones.

The relationship of the species here described with those
given by Mr. Fauvel (Not. Ent. vii, p. 72), is best shown
by the following table, which is merely a continuation of
the one given by that author, with a few slight alterations.

Elytra shining, with more or less distinct punctuation.
Pronotum and elytra glabrous.
Pronotum polished.

Elytra with very sparse, nearly obsolete punctuation sparsum,

Elytra coarsely and generally distinctly punctate.

Head distinctly and densely punctate: elytra black or maculate with
testaceous, with the suture blackish or brownish.

Antennae piceous, three basal joints paler floribundum.

Antenna? clear flavate throughout flavicome.

Head impunctate.
Head shining, with two oblique stria? between the eyes, scutatum.
Head dull, granulose, strongly bifoveolate between the eyes.

laevicolle.

Head and pronotum alutaceous, size large testaceum.

Pronotum and elytra visibly pubescent or pilose.

Size large; pronotum and elytra very strongly and densely punctate, the
former distinctly impressed along the middle maculatum,

[85]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 241

Size rather small; pronotuin very finely, elytra generally densely and
more coarsely punctate; pronotum not distinctly impressed iu the
middle.
Elytra less than one-half longer than the pronotum.

Sides of the piothorax very strongly arouate puberullUXl.

Sides of the prothorax very feebly arcuate alutaceum.

Elytra more than one-half longer than the pronotum.

Elytra coarsely and not densely punctate pilosellum.

Elytra very finely aud densaly punctate.

Interocular stride very fine; ocelli minute and distinct. . veteratol".
Interocular stripe deep; ocelli large, not very well defined.

crassicorne.
Elytra dull, very finely and transversely rugulose Opaculum.

The genus is probably a very extensive one in California,
which region also appears to be very rich in the entire group
Homalini.

PELECOMALIUM n. gen. (Homalini).

Body depressed, winged; elytra longer than the prothorax; autenme fili-
form, very feebly incrassate, front not produced. Maxillary palpi with the first
joint small; second elongate, slender; third and fourth flattened, the former
slightly longer than wide, obconicai; fourth about one-half longer than the
third, strongly securiform. Labial palpi small; first joint very small;
second much wider and longer, slightly longer than wide, sides parallel, tip
transversely truncate; third slender, oblique, truncate at tip, sides nearly
parallel, much narrower and slightly longer than the second; second aud
third joints flattened. Posterior tarsi very long aud slender, shorter than
the tibiae; first and second joints elongate, the former much the longer;
fourth deeply bilobed. Posterior tibice slender, terminated by two slender,
unequal spurs and several small spines. Tibiaa rather fiuely and sparsely
pubescent, having a very few small lateral spines.

It will be seen from the above diagnosis that this genus
bears a great resemblance to Amphichroum, and in fact if
the palpi were removed, it would be almost impossible to
distinguish P. modestiun from A. veterator, so great is the
resemblance in every feature of the body, antenna? and
legs.

The two species described below may be recognized by
the following characters: —

Size large; elytra coarsely and rather sparsely punctate binotatum

Size small; elvtra finely and very densely punctate modestlim

242 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [86]

P, binotatum n- sp. — Rather robust; body and legs throughout dark rufo-
testaceous; head, abdomen, and under surface except the prostemum, black;
elytra and hypomera rather paler and more luteous; each elytron having a
median apical spot of piceous-black, clearly limited and very distinct ; antennae
piceous-black, three basal joints abruptly pale testaceous; palpi and man-
dibles same; head and prothorax alutaceous, remainder shining; pronotuin
almost glabrous; elytra and abdomen finely and very sparsely pubescent,
the latter toward the sides only. Head slightly longer than wide, depressed,
neady flat, transversely and feebly impressed between the antennas, finely,
not deeply and obliquely bistriate between the eyes; surface finely and
strongly granulose and subrugulose, impunctate; antennas scarcely two-fifths
as long as the body, very slightly flattened and incrassate toward tip; joints
one, and three to seven nearly equal in length and one-half longer than the
second; joints seven to ten rather rapidly decreasing in length, the latter
one-fourth longer than wide. Prothorax anteriorly as wide as the head,
wide.-t in the middle, about one-fourth wider than long; sides parallel, evenly
and moderately arcuate throughout; apical augles rather narrowly rounded,
basal very broadly so; apex and base equal in width, the former broadly and
distinctly sinuate throughout, the latter very feebly and broadly sinuate
in the middle; disk very broadly and very moderately convex, narrowly
and obsoletely impressed along the middle, broadly and very feebly so near
the scutellum, narrowly and abruptly explanate anteriorly at the sides,
more broadly and gradually so thence to the base, finely and strongly retic"
ulate, excessively minutely, sparsely and feebly punctate except near the
sides and especially along the base, where the punctures are closer, larger
and deeper. Elytra at base as wide as the pronotuin; sides feebly though
distinctly divergent; apical angles moderately broadly rounded; together
transversely truncate behind; disk depressed, about as long as wide, two-
thirds longer than the pronotuin, finely margined along the suture, rather
coarsely, strongly, evenly and rather sparsely punctate. Abdomen about
as wide as, and slightly shorter than, the elytra; sides convergent and
strongly and evenly arcuate to the vertex; border rather narrow and feebly
inclined, finely and densely punctate; surface broadly polished and impunc-
tate in the middle. Legs slender. Length 4.7 mm.

California; (Marin Co. 1). Mr. Harford.

In the type of this very interesting species the middle
tibiae are broadly and strongly emarginate interiorly at
one-third the length from the apex, the others being per-
fectly entire.

P. modestum "• sp. — Moderately slender; head and abdomen black; pro-
notuin, except the lateral limbs, narrowly, and a short basal margin, antenna
toward tip, and elytra, dark blackish-castaneous, the latter having on each
side near the humeri a small, very indefinite spot of slightly paler tint; an-

[87]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 243

tennas toward base, palpi, pronotal and elytral hypomera and anterior legs
pale testaceous; middle and posterior legs infuscate throughout; remainder
of the under surface blackish; head and pronotum very feebly alutaceous,
remainder shining; head glabrous, pronotum and elytra finely and densely
pubescent. Head very slightly longer than wide, broadly and feebly im-
pressed between the antennas, finely, very feebly and obliquely bistriate
between the eyes; surface finely and rather feebly reticulate, impunctate;
ocelli small, round, distinct; antennas long and slender, more than one-half
as long as the body; joints oue and three subequal in length, distinctly longer
than the succeeding ones; joints two and four to seven nearly equal in
length, tenth fully one-third longer than wide, cyliudro-obconical. Prothorax
anteriorly slightly narrower than the head, widest near the middle, where
the sides are nearly evenly and moderately arcuate, slightly straighter to-
ward the apex and base and very slightly more strongly convergent in the
former direction; apex slightly narrower than the base, broadly and very
feebly incurvate; the latter broadly aud very feebly arcuate; apical and basal
angles moderately broadly rounded, the former the more strongly; disk
nearly one-half wider than long, moderately and evenly convex, not at all
impressed, abruptly and narrowly explanate at the sides anteriorly, more
broadly and gradually so toward the basal angles, where it is also slightly
reflexed, extremely fiuely, evenly, feebly, subasperately aud rather densely
punctate, finely and distinctly reticulate. Elytra at base scarcely as wide as
the pronotum; sides very feebly divergent and arcuate; apical angles mode-
rately broadly rounded; disk depressed, quadrate, nearly three-fourths longer
than the pronotum, very densely, rather finely, deeply and evenly punctate.
Abdomen produced slightly at the apex, the last segment being rather long
and slender; as wide at base as the elytra, polished, feebly aud fiuely punc-
tate near the sides, impunctate in the middle. Legs slender. Length
2.7 mm.

California; (Lake Co. 2). Mr. Fuchs.

Readily distinguishable from the preceding by its much
smaller size, more transverse prothorax, finer and much
denser elytral punctuation and coloration. Its approxima-
tion in appearance to Amphichroum veterator has been before
alluded to, and is most remarkable; it is a smaller and
slightly more slender species than the latter, but in prono-
tal and elytral form and punctuation it is almost precisely
similar.

LATHRIM^UM Erichs.

L. humerale »• sp.— Rather robust, moderately convex; head blackish,
epistoma dark rufous; pronotum dark rufous, obscurely piceous in the
middle; elytra pale luteous, dark rufous at the apices, immediately before

244 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [88]

which there is a large rather indefinite area of dark piceous obliquely
limited just behind the middle; on each elytron there is also, just before the
middle, a small obscure spot of dark castaneous, not attaining the suture,
and parallel to the oblique edge of the posterior spot; abdomen dark rufous;
entire under surface and legs bright rufo-testaceous; antennas piceous,
apical joint paler, first three joints very dark rufo-fuscous, nearly glabrous,
remainder finely and densely pubescent; integuments nearly glabrous; highly
polished. Head slightly wider than long, convex along the middle, broadly
impressed along the sides, obliquely and very feebly bisulcate between the
eyes, finely and not very densely punctate; sides behind the eyes short,
rectangular, ocelli rather large, very prominent; eyes moderately prominent;
antennas distinctly shorter than the head and prothorax together, feebly
incrassate; third joint slender, distinctly longer than the second or fourth;
the latter subequal, distinctly longer than the fifth, which is nearly one-half
longer than wide; tenth slightly wider than long. Prothorax widest slightly
behind the middle, where it is three-fourths wider than long; sides thence
rather strongly convergent, strongly and evenly arcuate to the very broadly
rounded apical angles, and slightly less strongly convergent and straight to
the basal angles, which are obtuse and not rounded; edges finely serrulate;
base broadly and very feebly arcuate, four-fifths as wide as the disk and
wider than the apex; the latter truncate in the middle between the broadly
rounded and slightly advanced lateral apices; disk rather strongly convex in
thd middle, where there is a rather deep longitudiual sulcation, limited
laterally by two narrow well-defined ridges which terminate at one-third the
length from the base; on each side, exterior to these, there are two rather
strong, irregular elevations, thence to the lateral edges the surface is
broadly explanate and feebly refiexed, broadly and very feebly impressed at
the middle of each side; surface very coarsely, deeply and irregularly punc-
tate; punctures sparser toward the sides. Elytra one-third wider than the
pronotum, at base equal to it in width; sides nearly parallel and somewhat
strongly arcuate; together broadly subtruucate behind; exterior angles
broadly rounded; disk strongly convex, slightly less strongly declivous
behind than on the sides, nearly one-third longer than wide, two and one-
half times as long as the pronotum, coarsely, deeply punctate; punctures
closely placed in rather well-defined strite; intervals rather feebly convex, the
third and seventh more strongly so; the latter near the humeri very strongly
so. Abdomen very short and narrow behind the elytra, having two almost
impunctate segments exposed. Legs long and very slender; posterior tarsi
short, first two joints slightly elongate, the first slightly the longer; fifth
much shorter than the first four together. Length 4 3 mm.

California; (Humboldt Co. 1).

The under surface, except the pronotal hypomera, and
including the elytral hypomera, is very coarsely and deeply
punctate; the abdomen finely subalutaceous and almost

[89]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 245

impunctate. The femora are very sparsely pubescent, the
hairs being very short, stout and recumbent; the tibifie
finely and densely spinulose. The mesosternum is finely
carinate in the middle anteriorly. The maxillary palpi are
very slender and filiform, the third joint being twice as long
as wide, the fourth being very slender, pointed and more
than twice as long as the third.

This species differs from pidwn Fauv. in elytral structure,
that species having all the elytral intervals equally and very
feebly convex., and from subcostatum Makl. in the shape of
the prothorax.

OROBANUS Lee.

0. rufipes Q. sp. — Rather slender, cuneate; black throughout except the
eleventh joint of the antenna? which is testaceous, and the legs which are
rufous throughout; integuments shining; pubescence rather long, very fine,
dense, recumbent, dark grayish-brown in color. Htad moderate; eyes at
nearly their own length from the base, moderately prominent, rather finely
granulate; sides behind them feebly convergent and strongly arcuate, promi-
nent; front feebly convex, very finely and extremely feebly punctate; having
on a line slightly in advance of the middle of the eyes two deeply impressed,
narrow, oblique and very short canaliculate punctures; ocelli minute, circu-
lar; antennas moderate, slender, filiform, slightly less than one-half as long as
the body; joints two to six snbequal in length, the former slightly more robust
and very slightly shorter; joints six to ten decreasing in length, the former
nearly three times as long as wide, the latter distinctly thicker and three-
fourths longer than wide, eleventh slender, shorter than the two preceding
together, finely acuminate, compressed near the tip. Prothorax cordate,
widest at one-third its length from the apex, where it is distinctly wider thau
the head and very slightly wider than long; sides very moderately conver-
gent posteriorly, deeply and evenly incurvate throughout, strongly arcuate
anteriorly; basal angles slightly obtuse, very slightly rounded; base broadly,
evenly and very feebly arcuate, about three-fourths as wide as the disk
and very slightly wider than the apex; the latter broadly, evenly and just
visibly emargiuate; apical angles almost obsolete; disk strongly and nearly
evenly convex, having near the base a transverse row of small feeble erosions,
and at each side, just before the middle, a rather strong impression which is
continued posteriorly, gradually becoming more feeble and disappearing
before reaching the basal angles; very finely, feebly, evenly and somewhat
densely punctate. Elytra at base slightly wider than the prothorax, widest
at the apex where together they are slightly less thau twice as wide as the
prothorax; sides nearly straight; each elytron broadly rounded behind; hu-

246 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [90]

ineri broadly rounded; disk depressed, with a feebly impressed line on each
parallel and near the suture, minutely, evenly, very feebly and not very
densely punctate, slightly more than twice as long as the prothorax, oue-
third longer than wide. Abdomen at base slightly narrower than the elytra;
sides convergent to the apex, strongly and evenly arcuate; extremely minutely,
densely and asperately punctate. Legs slender; first joint of the posterior
tarsi distinctly longer than the next two together, ,much longer than the fifth.
Length 3.0-3.7 mm.

California; (Hoopa Val., Humboldt Co. 7).

The type is a male, the sixth segment being broadly and
feebly emarginate at tip; in the female the prothorax is
much more distinctly wider than long and less strongly
cordate; the antennae are slightly shorter and do not attain
the middle of the elytra; in size the female is smaller than
the male.

There is scarcely a trace of a median sulcation on the
pronotum, the sides of which are more deeply sinuate to-
ward the basal angles than in either densus or the Vancou-
ver representative of simulator. The species is chiefly re-
markable because of its slender form, sparse punctuation
and rufous legs. It was found in wet moss in the interior
of a flume for conveying spring-water.

0. densus n- SP- — Rather robust, depressed; body entirely black above and
beneath, oral organs rufo-testaceous; l"gs fuscous throughout; antenna? en-
tirely piceous-black; pubescence cinereous, rather short, recumbent, extremely
dense; integuments shining. Head moderate, slightly longer than wide;
sides behind the eyes strongly convergent to the neck and strongly arcuate;
eyes rather prominent, large, coarsely granulated, very densely setose; front
depressed, feebly biimpressed between the eyes, finely and densely punctate,
more sparsely so along the middle; antenna? filiform, fully one-half as long as
the body; basal joint subcylindiicnl, three times as long as wide, second two-
thirds as long as the third, the latter slightly shorter than the first, joints
three to six equal, slender, six to ten gradually diminishing in length, the lat-
ter more than twice as long as wide, eleventh fusiform, slightly oblique at tip,
one-half longer than the tenth. Prothorax widest at the anterior third, where
it is distinctly wider than long and slightly wider than the head; sides strongly
arcuate, strongly convergent and distinctly and evenly sinuate toward the
base; apex transversely truncate, about equal in width to the base which is
broadly, evenly and very feebly arcuate; basal angles slightly obtuse, very
narrowly rounded; disk transversely, evenly and moderately convex; impress-

[91] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 247

ed in the middle near the lateral edges, the impression becoming extinct to-
ward the basal angles, finely, evenly and very densely punctate. Elytra at
base two-fifths wider than the prothorax; sides distinctly divergent, nearly
straight, slightly obliquely truncate at apex; exterior angles broadly, inner
more narrowly, rounded; humeri broadly rounded; disk feebly convex, broadly
aud feebly impressed on the suture towaidbase, nearly one-third longer than
wide, two and one-half times as long as the prothorax, very finely, evenly and
extremely densely punctate. Three segments of abdomen exposed together
wider than long, as wide as the base of the elytra; margin distinct, inclined;
surface feebly convex, finely, very feebly and very densely punctate. Under
surface and legs finely and densely pubescent., less densely so toward the tip
of the abdomen. Length 3.4-3.9 mm.

California; (San Diego 3). Mr. W. G. W. Harford.

Distinguishable immediately from the preceding by its
more depressed and broader form, more parallel elytra,
nearly three times as dense punctuation, darker legs, etc.
It differs from simulator in its much denser punctuation and
more depressed form.

The three species may be distinguished as follows, the
characters of simulator being taken from a specimen from
Vancouver Island, kindly loaned me by the Museum of
Comparative Zoology at Cambridge : —

Legs dark fuscous.

Surface polished; strongly convex simulator.

Surface under low power dull; very depressed densUS.

Legs clear rufous; punctuation more sparse; form more slender mfipes.

Since it is now known that there are several distinct spe-
cies of this genus, the absolute identity of the Vancouver
specimens taken by Crotch with simulator Lee, which was
described from the regions east of the Rocky Mountains,
may reasonably be questioned; a careful comparison of the
two is therefore very desirable. By careful comparison of
the above Vancouver type with the description given by Dr.
Le Conte and M. Fauvel, I am inclined to believe that the
former is a fourth species, hitherto undescribed. M. Fau-
vel mentions the prothorax as being longer than wide; it
this is actually the case, it is very distinct from any of the

248 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [9 2 J

specimens before me, all of which have it distinctly wider
than long.

ACTIDIUM Matth.

A. rotlindicolle n. sp.— Rather robust, strongly convex, piceous-black;
legs and palpi pale flavo-testaceous; antennas pale testaceous at base, becom-
ing piceous-black at apex; pubescence fine, very short, not at all dense;
integuments shining, subalutaceous. Head much wider than long, rather
convex, very minutely and sparsely punctate; eyes moderate, rather prom-
inent, coarsely granulate; antennas as long as the head and prothorax
together; funicle slender; club robust; joints increasing in length and thick-
ness. Prothorax slightly wider than the head, about equal in length, two-
thirds wider than long; sides parallel and strongly, evenly arcuate; base
broadly arcuate, distinctly sinuate laterally; basal angles obsolete; apex
broadly truucate; disk broadly, evenly convex, very minutely reticulate or
subgranulose, minutely, evenly aud sparsely punctate. Scutellum small,
equilatero-triangular, coarsely asperate. Elytra at base as wide as the pro-
thorax; sides parallel for two-thirds the length from the base, rather strongly,
evenly arcuate, thence feebly convergent, very feebly arcuate to the apex
which, conjointly, is rather abruptly truncate; exterior angles broadly
rounded, inner angles narrowly rounded; disk widest at nearly two-fifths
its length from the base, nearly one-half longer than wide, one-half longer
than the head and pronotum together, strongly cyliudrically convex, minutely,
densely reticulate or subgranulose, shining, very minutely, evenly, rather
sparsely, subasperately punctate; punctures without definite arrangement.
Legs rather long, somewhat slender; posterior tibiae very blender toward
base; rapidly dilated, widest at the apical third, compressed; tarsi short,
very slender. Length 0.4 mm.

Texas; (Galveston 2).

This species differs from those previously described from
California in the sculpture which is much more feeble, and
in the form of the prothorax. It is as robust as robustulum
and does not appear to possess many characters in common
with the three species described by Mr. Matthews.

PTILIUM Erichs.

P. sulcatum n. sp. — Rather slender and convex; sides nearly parallel;
color pale brownish-testaceous, antennas and legs slightly paler, more flavate;
integuments coarsely sculptured, shining; pubescence fine, subrecumbent,
not very dense. Head moderate in size, much wider than long, triangular;
surface moderately convex, rather coarsely, irregularly and feebly tubercu-

[93]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 249

late ; eyes small, at the base, convex, prominent, coarsely granulate; antennas
rather long, distinctly longer than the head and prothorax together; two
basal joints robust; funicle very slender; club strong, joints increasing in
length and thickness. Prothorax widest at two-fifths its length from the
apex, where it is distinctly wider than the head, one-half wider than long;
sides strongly arcuate anteriorly, strongly convergent and very feebly sinuate
toward base; the latter broadly, extremely feebly arcuate throughout, very
slightly narrower than the apex, nearly three-fourths as wide as the disk;
apex transversely truncate throughout; basal angles obtuse, scarcely percep-
tibly rounded; disk transversely, moderately convex, densely, feebly, irregu-
larty tuberculate or granulose, the tubercles nearly confluent and differing
greatly in size; in the center there is a small, strongly marked canaliculation
two-fifths as long as the disk, and, at each basal angle, a small impressed
puncture. Elytra at base as wide as the prothorax; sides parallel, distinctly
and nearly evenly arcuate; together abruptly, very broadly rounded behind;
apex broadly truncate; disk widest in the middle, where it is distinctly wider
than the prothorax, nearly one-half longer than the head and prothorax to-
gether, rather depressed in the middle, rather abruptly, strongly convex at the
sides, finely, evenly, not very densely, subasperately punctate; asperities not
definitely arranged. Scutellum moderate, asperate, triangular, slightly wider
than long. Under surface pale brownish-testaceous, except the abdomen
toward base, which is dark, blackish-piceous. Legs rather slender, short;
tarsi rather short, very slender. Length 0.35 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

This species can he readily recognized by its very minute
size, there being but one smaller species of Coleoptera
known; it is also distinguished by the peculiar form and
structure of the prothorax. The metasternum appears to
extend to the elytra at the sides.

P. Hornianum Matth., which is of about the same size as
the present species, differs from it in color, shape and
sculpture.

SMICRUS Matth.

S. americanus n. sp.— Rather elongate; sides parallel; body depressed,
black; legs and antennae pale, dusky yellow; pubescence rather long, recum-
bent, not very dense; integuments shining. Head large, triangular, slightly
wider than long; eyes large, strongly convex, prominent, coarsely setose;
surface feebly convex, smooth, obsoletely and finely reticulate; labrum prom-
inent, acutely rounded; second joint of antennas distinctly shorter than the
first, both rather slender and elongate. Prothorax as long as the head, very
slightly wider, three-fourths wider than long, widest in the middle; sides

250 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [94]

parallel, evenly and very feebly arcuate throughout, not at all constricted at
base; apex broadly, very feebly aud evenly einargindte throughout its width;
angles slightly acute, very narrowly rounded; base transversely truncate and
straight throughout its width; angles nearly right, not rounded; disk broadly,
feebly convex, more strongly so near the sides, not very densely covered with
rather fine, flat, somewhat indefinite tubercles. Scutellum large, triangular,
feebly, rather densely asperate. Elytra equal in width to the prothorax;
sides parallel, nearly straight, abruptly transversely truncate behind; outer
angles narrowly rouuded; disk scarcely one-fifth longer than wide, very
slightly longer than the head and prothorax together, depressed in the mid-
dle, rather convex at the sides, finely, feebly, not very densely asperate;
asperities not definitely arranged. Abdomen with four fully exposed seg-
ments, the fifth, the basal, also being almost completely exposed; together
as long as wide; outline parabolic; surface rather convex, rather finely, not
densely, very feebly asperate or subgrauulos?, margined laterally with a flat
border, becoming attenuated posteriorly ; last segment as long as the three
preceding together, rounded at apex. Legs rather short and robust. Length
0.9 mm.

Texas; (Austin 1).

The entire abdomen, extending under the elytra, is com-
posed of eight segments; the under surface is polished and
very feebly transversely asperate along the apex of each
segment, and the apical two-thirds of the terminal; the
latter at apex has a narrow, porrected, pale membranous bor-
der. The antennae in the type are missing with exception
of the two basal joints.

The apex of the abdomen, more especially beneath, and
the sides of the elytra toward the base, are slightly pale.
The abdominal border beyond the elytra is not apprecia-
bly elevated, and its surface is almost continuous in con-
vexity with that of the upper surface; under the elytra and
toward the base of the abdomen it becomes thinner, deep
and erect.

This species differs greatly from filicornis Fairm. in the
structure of the pronotum, which is not at all constricted
at base.

DITAPHRUS n. gen. (Byrrhid*.)

Body oval, pubescent. Head deflexed, retractile; eyes large, rather coarsely
granulated, nearly hidden in repose, front excavated at the sides near the

[95]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 251

eyes for the reception of the antennas when in repose; epistoina very small,
deflexed, divided by a fine distinct, straight suture; labrum small, transverse,
vertical, detached from and covered by the epistoma; antennae inserted under
the sides of the front, immediately before the eyes, 11-jointed, base thick,
gradually diminishing in thickness to the sixth joint, seven to nine very small,
tenth wider, small, transverse, eleventh widest, longer than wide, ovoidal,
maxillary palpi small, last joint slightly longer than wide, ovoidal, pointed,
slightly compressed. Prosternum well developed, transversely truncate an-
teriorly, widely separating the anterior coxa?; process transversely truncate at
apex, on the same level and in contact with the anterior edge of the mesos-
ternum; the latter extremely short, strongly transverse, very broadly and
feebly emavginate anteriorly; metasternum large, long; episternum narrow,
elongate, obliquely truncate anteriorly, widest and angulate interiorly near
the apex; metasternum slightly excavated at the side anteriorly for the recep-
tion of the tips of the intermediate femora, the excavatiou extending very
deeply and obliquely into the base of the elytrat hypomera. Anterior coxa?
very small, transverse, attenuate laterally, open behiud, widely separated;
trochanters large; middle coxa? not at all prominent, transversely oval, very
widely separated; trochanters large; posterior coxae strongly transverse, at-
taining the metasternal episterna, short, distinctly separated. Ventral seg-
ments five; three basal not distinctly connate; first four uniformly and grad-
ually decreasing in length; fifth as long as the two preceding together; first
segment deeply and transversely excavated at base for the reception of the
posterior femora. Prothorax short, broad; sides with an acute edge; infiexed
sides divided from the prosternum by a very distinct suture; prosternum lat-
erally and infiexed sides deeply and transversely excavated for reception of
the anterior femora; pronotum excavated laterally at apex for reception of
antennal club. Scutellum small, triangular. Elytra convex, covering the en-
tire abdomen; hypomera distinct, extending only for two-fifths the length
from the base, devoid of hypopleime. Legs short, rather slender; femora not
very robust, excavated along the lower edge for reception of the tibiaa; tbe
latter simple, rather slender, not grooved, having a line of short, very fine,
densely placed cilia along the outer edge; tarsi free, rather short, five-jointed
joints simple; first of the anterior as long as the next two together; two to
four very small; fifth as long as the three preceding together; claws divergent,
small, simple, slender.

This genus is very remarkable in antennal structure, in
its excavated pronotum and many other characters. The
single representative almost exactly resembles a minute
Scymnus in external form.

The median portions of the three sterna form a continu-
ous surface from the head to the posterior coxae, the meso-

252 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [96]

sternum being not at all depressed or impressed, and divided
from the metasternum by a very feeble straight suture.

Ditaphrus is related to Bothriophorus Muls., but is very
-distinct in antennal structure and in the form of the prester-
num, this not being broadly emarginate at apex, nor "pos-
te'rieurement retrdci en point," as in the latter. From Phy-
:semus Lee. it is apparently distinguished by its antennal
structure.

D. SCymnoideS n. sp.— Form elliptical, distinctly longer than wide, con-
vex, black; under surface, legs aDd antenna? fuscous; integuments alutaceous;
pubescence fine, pale, short, subrecumbent, rather dense. Head rather
small, wider than long; surface broadly, evenly convex, finely, deeply and
densely punctate; punctures coalescent and scabrous at base; antennae aslong
as the width of head; occiput margined laterally along the eyes with a nar-
row impressed channel for the reception of the antennas which joins the deep
apical excavation of the pronotum. Prothorax about three times as wide as
long; sides convergent anteriorly, feebly arcuate; base broadly arcuate, ab-
ruptly more strongly so in the middle; apex broadly emarginate; surface
broadly convex, very minutely, deeply, evenly, not very densely punctate;
punctures separated by three or four times their own diameter. Scutellum
slightly longer than wide. Elytra, viewed vertically, nearly three times as
ongas the head and prothorax together, widest at one third the length from
the base; sides strongly arcuate, coarctate with those of the pronotum, evenly
rounded to the apex which, conjointly, is rather narrowly rounded; surface
■strongly convex, rather finely, evenly, deeply and moderately densely punc-
tate; punctures decidedly larger than than tho.se of the pronotum, distant by
two to three times their own diameters. Legs short; tarsi slightly reflexed.
Under surface alutaceous and minutely punctate; abdomen finely, rather
densely pubescent. Length 0.8-1.0 mm.

Texas; (Austin 11; El Paso 1). .

Rather abundant amongst decaying vegetable matter on
the soft mud left hy the receding water of the Colorado
River. The antenna is figured on the plate and is seen to
be of very singular structure. The club in Physemus, the
only genus with which this can be confounded, is described
as being three-jointed and almost solid. It is also highly
probable that Physemus is distinct from Bothriophorus.
These three genera should be separated as a group distinct
from Limnichus.

[97] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 253

In the Californian species of Lintnichus, the prosternum is
very long, prolonged between the coxse, the apex of the
process being strongly rounded and entering a deep emar-
gination of the mesosternum ; along the middle the surface
is deeply grooved. The first two ventral segments are sub-
equal in length, the first three connate. The first four joints
of the anterior tarsi are short, equal and together but slightly
longer than the fifth. The antennae are eleven-jointed; club
loose, three-jointed, joints gradually increasing in thickness;
first joint, as in Ditaphrus, deeply seated in the lateral ex-
cavation of the front.

I have carefully verified this observation regarding the
number of antennal joints in three or four species of Limni-
chus and several specimens of Ditaphrus, and can state with
great certainty that the antennas are not 10-jointed, as rep-
resented (Class. Col. N. A., LeConte and Horn pp. 159,
161). DuYal had already corrected this error in his classic
work on the genera of European Coleoptera (Vol. II, p. 267
foot-note).

ELEATES n. gen. (Tenebrionidae).

Body oblong, strongly convex. Epistoma and sides of the front coarctate
at apex, very broadly and evenly arcuate; front distinctly dilated before the
eyes; the latter small, completely divided by the lateral edges, more than
their own length in front of the prothorax; epistoma transverse, enclosed by
the front; suture distinct and impressed in the middle. Maxillary palpi
scarcely at all dilated; third joint distinctly longer than wide, slightly shorter
than the second; fourth twice as long as wide, distinctly longer than the
second, subcylindrical, slightly bent and compressed, obliquely truncate at
tip. Labial palpi rather small; third joint most robust, longer than the first
two together, ovoidal, narrowly and obliquely truncate at tip. Mentum mod-
erate, wider than long, its plane below the general surface of the head; ligula
large, strongly and broadly bilobed; lobes almost entirely exposed. Maxilla?
exposed at the sides. Antenna) gradually and very strongly incrassate, very
strongly compressed; second joint globular, one-half as long as the third;
the latter longer than the succeeding joints; four to seven, densely spongiose
at the exterior apical angles; the remainder more extensively so and at both
apical angles; joints more strongly pointed outwardly than on the inside;
five to ten transverse, the latter very strongly so; eleventh large, as wide as
the tenth, as long as wide, obliquely conoidal; antennal grooves deep near
the eyes, obliterated in the middle. Anterior coxa) transversely oval,

18— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. 6. Issued November 27, 1886

254 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [98]

strongly convex, slightly separated. Middle coxae with small trochanters;
posteiior transverse, separated by a triangular process of the first ventral
segment. Tibias scarcely dilated; spurs small but distinct, unequal; tarsi
moderate, setose beneath, the posterior more densely so at base; last joint
slightly longer than the preceding together; first four joints of the anterior
and middle very short equal; nrst of the posterior as long as the next two com-
bined. Elytral hypomera continuous throughout the length, rather narrow,
strongly inflexed, nearly equal in width throughout, slightly concave near
the base, elsewhere plane. Prothorax transverse; sides of the pronotum very
abruptly and narrowly explanate or feebly reflexed; edges neither denticulate
nor crenulate. Elytra finely costate; intervals punctate.

The affinities of this genus are very readily seen to be in
the direction of Bolitophagus and Eledona; it agrees with
the first in the structure of the front and eyes, but differs
in appearance, in this respect agreeing more closely with
Eledona, from which, in turn, it differs radically in the
structure of the eyes. In Eleates the epistoma is separated
from the labrum by a very short, coriaceous bond, as is usual
in this group, but the eyes are well in advance of the pro-
thorax. It differs from both Bolitophagus and Eledona in
the non-denticulate sides of the prothorax, a character con-
sidered more or less important by Lacordaire and Du Val,
who divide the European genera into groups depending
upon the presence or absence of denticulations.

E. OCCidentalis a- sp. — Rather robust; sides nearly straight and parallel;
black throughout; legs, palpi and antennas dark rufo-fuscous; glabrous; in-
teguments rather finely sculptured. Head nearly twice as wide as long; apex
very narrowly reflexed throughout; surface near the apex and in front of the
eyes slightly tumid; front broadly and feebly convex, extremely densely,
rather deeply and coarsely punctate; punctures very much finer and obsolete
on the epistoma. Prothorax widest near the base, where it is two-thirds wider
th m the head and twice as wide as long ; sides feebly convergent from base to
apex, feebly arcuate; base broadly arcuate, more strongly so in the middle;
angles slightly obtuse, not rounded; apex slightly narrower than the base,
broadly and rather strongly emarginate; angles slightly prominent, anteriorly
narrowly rounded; disk broadly, strongly and very evenly convex, rather
coarsely, evenly, deeply and excessively densely punctate; punctures poly-
gonal, intervals in the form of very narrow, strongly elevated lines. Scutellum
broader than long, rounded behind. Elytra at base slightly wider than the
prothoiax; sides ueaily parallel and straight to within a very short distance
of the apex, where, together, they are abruptly and very broadly rounded;

[99]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 255

humeral angles distinctly rounded; sides narrowly reflexed, edges acute;
disk broadly and very strongly convex, nearly three times as long as the
pronotum; ridges very fine, rather feebly elevated; intervals evenly concave,
each with a single series of round, rather deep punctures, distant by slightly
more tbaa their own widths; along each side of the immediate crests of the
costas there is a line of very small, round, closely-placed areolae; remainder
of the surface slightly and irregulnly roughened or subalutaceous, mode-
rately shining. Legs moderate; femora compressed, excavated beneath
through two-thirds the length for the reception of the tibiae ; tibial spurs situ-
ated at the inner apex, arranged parallel to the lower edge of the apex and
almost in line with the point of insertion of the tarsi, claws large, simple,
divergent. Length 4.5-5.0 mm.

California; (Truckee, Nevada Co. 2). Mr. Harford.

The lateral edges of the prothorax are sometimes ex-
tremely feebly and irregularly undulated.

This species, the first of its tribe to be announced from
the Pacific slope of the continent, lives in fungus growing
upon fallen logs.

BARINUS n. gen. (Curculionidae.)

Body rather slender and elongate, clothed with large, elongate scales, entirely
without hairs. Beak very short, rather stout, much shorter than the pro-
thorax, slightly flattened, rather strongly arcuate; scrobes beginning slightly
before the middle, descending obliquely to the eyes; the latter large, vertically
oval, not very prominent, finely granulated; lnterocular surface scarcely wider
than the beak, feebly impressed. Antennas rather slender; first joint of
funicle slightly shorter than the scape, rather strongly clavate, very slender
toward base, nearly as long as the remainder of the funicle; second to seventh
nearly equal, cylindrical, more slender than the apex of the first; club abrupt,
very elongate, oval, finely pubescent, slightly longer than the preceding six
joints of the funicle combined. Prothorax without postocular lobes. Pro-
sternum rather long in front of the coxae, rather narrowly and deeply sulcate
throughout its length, moderately separating the coxae. Middle and posterior
coxae widely separated. Metasternum longer than the first ventral segment.
First two segments of the abdomen rather long, nearly equal in length; su-
ture almost entirely obliterated in the middle; third and fourth segments
short, equal, together scarcely longer than the first; fifth rounded behind, as
long as the third and fourth together; posterior sutures strongly sinuate at
the sides. Elytra conjointly rounded at tip, coucealing the pygidium. Legs
moderate in length, rather robust; tibias not grooved, all mucronate at tip;
spur of the anterior and middle pairs vertical, of the posterior oblique and
nearer the insertion of the tarsi; all very small and robust; second and third

256 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [100]

joints of the tarsi broadly dilated, the latter strongly bilobed; fourth slender;
claws veiy small, narrow, connate throughout their length except at the im-
mediate apex.

It will be noticed that this genus corresponds quite
closely with Zygobaris, and I have drawn up the description
in such form that it can be readily compared with the one
given by Dr. LeConte for the latter (Proc. Am. Phil. Soc.
XV, p. 321). It differs conspicuously in its shorter beak,
in antennal structure and in its strongly grooved prester-
num; also in the claws, which are connate nearly through
their length.

B. squamolineatus n. sp. — Form very narrowly elliptical, moderately
convey, black; legs and antennae dark fuscou«; coxaa black; integuments
shining. Head rather small, hemispherical, subalutaceous, finely and not very
densely punctate, with a few small robust scales along the inDer margins of
the eyes; beak scarcely twice as long as the head, slightly enlarged and flat-
tened toward tip, finely and rather densely punctate toward the base, much
more sparsely so near the apex. Prothorax about as long as wide, very
feebly constricted near the apex, sides very feebly convergent from base to
apex, abruptly and more strongly arcuate behind the constriction, base
broadly arcuate, more strongly so in the middle; apex transversely truncate,
three-fifths as wide as the base; disk transversely, nearly evenly and strongly
convex, coarsely, rather densely and evenly punctate; punctures round,
deep, perforate, separated by about their own width, distinctly finer along
the apex; surface abruptly and densely squamose at the sides, with a narrow,
sparsely squamose line along the middle; elsewhere each puncture bears a
very minute, slender scale; scales all arranged transversely. Elytra at the
humeri slightly wider than the prothorax; sides gradually convergent, broadly
and nearly evenly arcuate to the apex, which, conjointly, is rather nairowly
rounded; humeri longitudinally and rather strongly swollen; disk transversely
and rather strongly convex, fully twice as long as the pronotum, extremely
feebly constricted at one-fifth the length froni the apex, deeply and narrowly
grooved; strife finely, deeply and rather distantly punctate; intervals fiuely,
feebly and more closely punctate, alternating broader and narrower; the
narrow intervals having a single, the broad ones two rows, of large elongate
scales arranged longitudinally; humeral row broader; the scales along the
suture and also those near the the sides very much smaller and narrower.
Scutellum slightly longer than wide, oval. Legs fiuely and rather sparst ly
squamose; tarsi densely covered above with fine hair-like scales, densely
spongiose beneath. Abdomen densely squamose at the sides, sparsely so in
the middle; devoid of scales along the bases of the last three segments
Length 3.8 mm.

[101]

NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 257

Central Illinois 1; Mr. F. M. Webster.

The scales are generally white, but are slightly
darker along the flanks of the elytra, where they are very
small. The rows of scales upon the elytral intervals are
not uniformly single or double, but in many spots become
more crowded and irregular.

RENOCIS n. geii. (Hylurgini).

Body subcylindrieal. Head prominent, not concealed by the prothorax,
inserted in the prothorax nearly to the eyes; slightly deflexed, not at all
produced, beak entirely obsolete; eyes rather finely granulated, not at all
prominent, on the sid^s, extending slightly under the head, short, very
.strongly transverse, with a small feeble sinuation in the anterior margin;
antennae inserted on the sides of the head just before the eyes, short, ten-
jointed; basal joint longer than wide, rather robust; second not one-half as
1 >ng, subglobular; three to six very small; joints seven to ten forming a very
abrupt, elongate, oval club, longer than the entire preceding portion, strongly
compressed, sparsely pubescent. Mandibles prominent, short and stout,
perfectly chisel-shaped apex transversely truncate, straight; inner face at
apex obliquely truncate. Mentum short, transverse; maxillae, liguli and
palpi very small, invisible under a mass of coarse hair surrounding the men-
turn. Labrum wanting. Anterior coxae prominent, subglobular, contiguous;
middle coxae widely distant, small, not prominent; posterior separated,
transverse, attenuated laterally, only attaining the metasterual episternuua,
which is long, rather wide; sides parallel; epimeron not visible. Anterior
coxae in contact with the head beneath; prosternum entirely obselete before
them; femora rather robust, simple; tibiae very narrow at base, rapidly
dilated and compressed toward apex, margined externally with a row of short,
very robust spinules, obliquely truncate at apex; tarsi rather short, slender,
not at all dilated but rather compressed, five jointed; third obliquely truncate
and slightly produced beneath, not biljbed; fourth very minute; fifth slender,
1 mger than the preceding united. Abdominal segments five in number; first
two subequal, each nearly as long as the third and fourth together. Elytra
covering the entire abdomen; pygidium invisible; prothorax strongly rounded
at the sides, transverse, convex; sides continuous in curvature from the
dorsal surface to the anterior coxaa. Integuments covered with a dense
scabrous mass of scales; base of elytra elevated and tuberculate. Scutellum
not distinctly visible.

In this genus the antennal club is strongly compressed,
elongate-oval, obtusely pointed and four-jointed, the joints
being connate and separated by straight transverse sutures.
Both surfaces are glabrous, except the apices of the joints.

258 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [102]

which are fringed with hairs, and the terminal joint which
is sparsely pubescent over the entire surface. The scape
is rather short and robust, distinctly shorter than the fun-
icle and is not received in transverse grooves in front of
the eyes, these being almost completely obsolete. The
genus therefore seems to form a group intermediate in
many of its characters between the Polygraphi and the
Hylurgi, but for the present it should be placed between
Chaetophloeus and Carphoborus, from the latter of which
it differs iu the structure of the elytra behind, — these being
evenly convex with no spinulose crests, — and in the struc-
ture of the antennal club, which is here divided by three
sutures, and not by two, as in Carphoborus.

R. heterodoxUS n- sp. — Oblong; sides parallel; integuments black, densely
clothed with scales mostly dark fus-cous in color, but interspersed with whit-
ish ones especially on the flanks and toward the base of the pronotum, re-
placed on the head by a dense growth of longer, robust, shaggy pubescence.
Read wider than long; front impressed, coarsely aud sparsely punctate, shin-
ing; antennae dai-k brown. Prothorax more than twice as wide as the head;
sides in the basal two-thirds parallel and distinctly arcuate, slightly constricted
near the apex which is broadly arcuate and slightly sinuate in the middle,
more than one-half as wide as the base; the latter transversely truncate; disk
transversely, strougly convex, two-thirds wider than long, very coarsely,
rather densely punctate; scales generally recumbent toward base, erect toward
apex; the latter fringed with a dense row of short, very robust, squiimiform
hairs. Elytra at base as wide as the prothorax; sides parallel and nearly
straight for two-thirds the length from the base, then gradually rounded;
to the apex, which, conjointly, is almost semicircularly rounded; disk
cylindiica), nearly one-half longer than wide, two and one-half times as long
as the prothorax, elevated along the basal margin, the summit of the elevation
being broken into small crests; surface feebly striate; striae punctate; inter-
vals flat, coarsely, rather sparsely and unevenly punctate; smaller scales
usually recumbent; along the middle of each interval there is a row of loDger,
erect, fuscous scales. Under surface scabrous, black, coarsely punctate.
Legs piceous; tarsi paler. Length 1.7 mm.

Nevada; (Washoe Co. 1).

The scales of the pronotum are generally entire, but upon
the flanks they become narrow, almost hair-like, and are bi-
furcate from their base, becoming, anteriorly and near the

[103] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 259

coxae, trifurcate. The sparse vestiture of the entire under
surface is of this same nature.

The single representative of this interesting species was
beaten from the low trees bordering the Truckee River, in
early spring, at Reno, Nevada.

Chcetophlceus hystrix Lee, found at San Diego, California,
is another singular species and appears to resemble that
above described in the structure of the head, but as that
species is described as robust and oval, having the surface
clothed with erect hair, it is abundantly distinguished from
the present which is sqiiamose and nearly cylindrical.

APPENDIX.

Notes.
I.

The genus Colusa is apparently regarded as identical with
Echidnoglossa Woll. In order to determine if possible the
truth in regard to the mutual relationship of these two gen-
era, I have, therefore, made a short comparative study, tak-
ing as a basis the careful description of Echidnoglossa,
given by Wollaston (Cat. Can. Col., p. 530). As this study
may be useful in future systematic investigations, it is given
below: —

In Echidnoglossa the ligula is slender, minutely bifid at
apex; the labial palpi are distinctly 3-jointed, the joints
subequal in length, the width decreasing. The posterior
tarsi have the joints gradually and slightly decreasing in
length to the fourth.

In Colusa the ligula is elongate, very slender, slightly
longer than the terminal joint of the labial palpi and is ap-
parently perfectly simple at apex. The first two joints of
the labial palpi are apparently cylindrical, rather short,

260 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [104]

equal in diameter and closely connate or anchylosed; in
most cases the suture is completely obliterated so that they
appear to form but a single joint; the last joint is very long
and slender, affixed very obliquely and is generally slightly
longer than the first two together. The posterior tarsi are
of rather peculiar structure; the first joint is fully as long
as, sometimes distinctly longer than the next two together,
the latter being equal in length and each distinctly shorter
than the fourth; the fifth is generally longer than the first.

If the words "elytfis brevissimis" are to be accepted in
their ordinary meaning, the genus of the Atlantic Islands
must be remarkably different in appearance, since the elytra
in Colusa are unusually long, wide and well developed. In
the description of the single species of Echidnoglossa, Wol-
laston states that it is alutaceous, scarcely punctulate, and
sparsely pubescent. In Colusa the integuments are not
alutaceous but polished, rather densely pubescent and
deeply punctate, the elytra very coarsely and conspicuously
so.

The two genera are, nevertheless, allied by a very striking-
character which I have repeatedly verified in Colusa — the
pentamerous tarsi — and Colusa is evidently the American
representative of the eastern Echidnoglossa. I believe that
enough has been said, however, to show that they should
not be united without a much more careful comparison than
has yet been accorded them.

II.

The species described by me under the names Ilyobates
(Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. I, p. 307) belong in reality to Bolito-
chara. By an unfortunate oversight the number of joints
in the tarsi was recorded erroneously; both these genera
possess the strongly elevated mesosternal carina. I am in-
debted for this rectification to M. A. Fauvel.

[105] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 261

III.

Attention is called to a very singular sexual character in
a Oalifornian species of Leptacinus, a figure of which is given
on the plate! The species may possibly be brunnescem Lee.
The pronotum of this specimen is not foveate at the sides,
but another specimen of apparently the same species has a
large deep fovea at about the middle of each side of the
pronotum and very near the edge; the latter example has
the sixth ventral segment simple and broadly rounded at
the apex.

IV.

In the classification of the Coleoptera of North America —
p. 97 — occurs the sentence: "The second ventral segment
is marked with two short ridges." As there is no such
structure in our species of St mini, the insertion of this
phrase must be the result of a i oversight.

V.

Although the synonymical notices recently published by
M. Fauvel through Dr. Horn (Proc. Ent. Sec. A. N. S.,
Phil., June, 1886, p. xiii) relating to several species of
Stenini described by me may possibly be correct, there is a
much greater probability of error. This probability almost
amounts to a certainty in the case of Hemistenus reconditus,
which is not the same as tarsalis Ljungh. In order to sub-
stantiate this statement I would refer the reader to the out-
lines of the tarsal claws of the two species, which I have
figured on the plate accompanying the Revision.

As for the other synonyms indicated by M. Fauvel, it can
only be said that the descriptions of the species mentioned
which are given by Erichson and Rey do not agree very
satisfactorily with those which I have drawn up as care-
fully as possible in the Revision of the North American
Stenini for the corresponding American forms.

262 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [106]

In a group where the species are so excessively numerous
and closely allied as in the Stenini, great care should be
exercised in making synonymical statements, and, it may
be added, there are probably extremely few species com-
mon to Europe and North America. It is even possible
that our familiar juno is not the same species as the Euro-
pean juno, for the figure of the male sexual characters of
this species given by Rey does not correspond, particularly
the modification of the fifth segment, which scarcely agrees
at all with the description which I have given for the Ameri-
can species.

VI.

Pinophili. — The statement made concerning this group
(Class. Col. N. A., p. 99), viz, that the species are found
under the bark of trees, is erroneous as far as the genus
Pinophilus is concerned; the correct derivation of the word
is given by Erichson (Gen. Staph., p. 670). Of the four
species in my cabinet, the two collected by myself were
taken in damp earth, under decomposing vegetable matter,
and in a few instances under stones; the other two were at-
tracted at night to the electric lights at El Paso, Texas.

VII.

Platystethus spiculus Er. — Specimens of this species,
which was described by Erichson from Colombia, South
America, were recently taken at Galveston and Austin,
Texas. These specimens correspond with others communi-
cated by Dr. Duges, taken at Guanajuato, Mexico, showing
that the species is of very wide distribution. The name
should be added to our lists.

VIII.

Aglenus Er. — A colony of about forty specimens of a
species which is probably A. brunneus Gyll., was recently
taken by me in the environs of San Francisco. Full de-

[107] NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 263

tails concerning the locality and other circumstances have
been sent to the Entomological Society of Washington.

IX.

The statement of Dr. Horn (Proc. Ent. Sec. A. N. S.
Phil. ; June, 1886, p. xiii) concerning the identity of
Platycerus Agassii Lee. and califomicus Cas. is erroneous.
These two species are mutually more dissimilar in outline,
punctuation and general appearance than even oregonensis
and depressus. Before describing califomicus I had access
to a very fine series of ten specimens of Agassii in the cab-
inet of Mr. C. Fuchs, a specialist in this family, who had
previously written a synopsis of the American species
(Bull. Bk. Ent. Soc. V., p. 57). The specimens of this
series agree perfectly with Mr. Fuchs' description of the
type of Agassii, and also with the description recently given
by Mr. F. Blanchard (Tr. Am. Ent. Soc, XII. p. 169).

Such absolute and unqualified assertions as the one re-
ferred to on the part of Dr. Horn, unaccompanied by any
comparative statements and hastily made without examining
the type or even an authentic representative of the species
condemned, are entirely uncalled for and generally of very
little scientific value.

ADDENDUM.

As the present paper was passing through the press, it was found that the
specific name exilis had already been employed for a species of Heterothops,
and I therefore substitute the word occidentis.

264 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. [108]

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE.

Fig. 1 — Reichenhachia tumorosa Cas. — Antenna $
Fig. la — R. lumldicornis Cas. — Antenna ^
Fig. 16—7?. informis Cas. — Antenna tf
Fig. 2 — R. deformata Lee. — Antenna ^
Fig. 2a— R, fundata Cas. — Autenna $
Fig. 26— i?. franciscana Cas. — Antenna ^
Fig. 2 — Eumitocerus tarsalis Cas.

3a — Anterior tibia and tarsus.
36 — Maxillary palpus.
3c — Posterior coxa.
Fig. i—Leptacinus sp. incog. — Abdominal vertex snowing long rigid sexual
spine.

4a— Lateral view of same.
Fig. 5—Hesperobium Cas. — Base of abdomen beneath, showing structure.
Note- This figure is referred to in the introductory notes of the present
paper, p. 159.
Fig. 6 — Leptogenius brevicomis Cas.

6a — Maxillary palpus.
Fig 7—Scopcens kevigatus Gyll.— Infralateral view of prothorax showing
form of intercoxal lamina.
7 a — Labrum.
Fig. 8 — Scopceodera nitida Lee. — Same.

8a — Labrum.
Fig. 9 — Leptorus picipes Cas. — Same.

9a — Labrum.
Fig. 10 — Orus punclatus Cas. — Same.

10a — Labrum.
Fig. 11— Pelecomalium binoiatum Cas. — Labrum.
11a— Maxillary palpus.
116 — Posterior tarsus,
lie — Labial palpus.
Fig. 12 — Lathrimwum humerale Cas.
Fig. 13 — Orobanus rujipes Cas.
Fig. 14—0. densun Cas.
Fig. 15— Aclidium rotundkolle Cas.
Fig. 16 — Ptilium sulcatum Cas.
Fig. 17 — Smicrus americanus Cas.
Fig. 18 — Ditaphrus scymnoides Cas. — Antenna.
Fig. 19 — Eleates occidentalis Cas.
Fig. 20 — Renocis helerodoxus Cas.

20a — Slightly oblique side view of head.

QL Casey, Thomas Lincoln, 1857-
581 1925.

C33 Descriptive notices of
Ent. North American Coleoptera :
I. With Plate VII.

QL
581
C33
Ent,

V