COLEOPTERA. 85 sides moderately arcuate; surface polished; svitural striae distinct, fecibly arcuate ; very strongly, coarsely, and evenly punctato-asperate, punctures arranged serially, every third series being composed of punctures which are very much larger. Scutellum as long as wide, acutely rounded behind. Abdomen finely pubescent, very minutely punctato-asperate, asperities arrangedtransversely m partial series ; segments five, first as long as the next two together, second to fourth equal in length, fifth very short. Legs long and slender ; anterior tarsi very slender and cylindrical, tibia terminated interiorlybyastoutfinelyacuminatearcuatespine,secondspineveryminute; posterior femora not toothed, tibiae straight; anterior femora sub-cylindrical, not very robust. Length 1.9 mm.
N(^ar Chester, Pennsylvania, 1.
The unique specimen of" this very fine species I found under rubbish of various sorts cast up by the waves on the shores of the Delaware River in early spring. If it is a male, as there is reason to suppose, it must come immediately ai'tev paradoxum, otherwhe it will perhaps find a most appropriate place just after thoracicum. The posterior femur has the lower edge abruptly more strongly arcuate near the tip, but cannot be said to be properly toothed ; the middle portion of the disk of each elytron in the type is indefinitely clouded with castaneous behind the middle.
The species may be distinguished at once by its oval form, pale yellow elytra, and very coarse asperate elytral punctuation. EUMICRUS Lap.
Microstemma Mots.
E. vestalis n. sp. — Form moderately robust. Color throughout dark rufous, legs and antennae not paler; pubescence of head and pronotum rather sparse and fine, that of the elytra coarser, longer and more dense, erect and bristling; integuments highly polished. Head slightly wider than long, sub-rectangular; sides just visibly convergent posteriorly and very feebly arcuate ; basal angles broadly rounded ; eyes moderate, rather finely granulated, feebly convex, situated at the anterior angles ; interocular surface feebly and evenly convex, finely rather densely and very feebly puuctulate toward the eyes, narrowly impunctate along the middle ; supraantennal margin of the front slightly produced in the middle ; antennae rather approximate at base ; clypeus under their points of attachment short, very declivous, and very broadly rounded ; labrum very short, transverse, rugulose, coarsely setose ; third joint of the maxillary palpi slender, clavate, nearly five times as long as wide, fourth obscure, very short ; antennae as long as the head and prothorax together, strongly geniculate, first joint as long as the next two together, second slightly shorter than the third and as long as the fourth, fifth longer than the third, sixth shorter, seventh and eighth much shorter, slightly wider than long, ninth and tenth each as long as the seventh and eighth together, last three joints increasing in width,
8G NORTH AMERICAN eleventh longer, conoidal. Prothorax widest at the anterior third ; sides rather strongly arcuate anteriorly, much less strongly so posteriorly, distinctlywider than the head ; disk one-fourth longer than wide, moderately convex, very minutely remotely and scarcely perceptihly punctulate throughout, bifoveate before the base on each side. Elytra at the base very slightly wider than the pronotum, widest in the middle where together they^re fourfifths wider than the pronotum ; sides rather strongly and evenly arcuate throughout, gradually convergent to the apex which is rather acutely rounded ; disk convex, very minutely sparsely sub-asperately and feebly punctate, mutually feebly and, narrowly elevated along the suture more especially toward the base ; humeri not prominent. Legs slender; femora distinctly clavate toward tip ; posterior trochanters very long, corresponding coxae widely separated ; first ventral segment as long as the next three together, two to five very short, eqiial in length, sixth longer, transversely lunate ; pygidium exposed, as wide as long, shining, impunctate ; first joint of the posterior tarsi nearly one-half lo'nger than the second and as long as the fifth, third and fourth shortest, equal. Length 2.2 mm. Arizona (Morrison), 2.
This species differs from LeConte's Microstemmfi f/ross(t in tiie shape and punctuation of the proiiotum, in the strncture of the antennae, and in size.
E. puiictatlis n. sp. — Form rather slender. Color of body and antennae very dark rufous, legs slightly paler and more flavate ; pubescence evenly distributed throughout the upper surface, rather fine, moderately long and sparse, pale fulvous in color, sub-recumbent ; integuments very higlily polished. Head rather small, from the antennae distinctly shorter than wide, rectangular ; sides parallel and very feebly arcuate ; base truncate, posteriorangles right and rather feebly rounded ; eyes small, at the anterior angles, verV slightly prominent anteriorly ; interocular surface very broadly convex, very minutely and sparsely punctulate throughout ; apical margin feebly and angularly produced and declivous in the middle between the antennae; the latter very slender, strongly geniculate, as long as the head and prothorax together, club elongated and very slender, first joint slightly shorter than the next two together, ninth about as thick as the first, much longer than wide, as long as and but slightly thinner than the tenth, eleventh thickest, elongate, conoidal, obtusely acuminate at the immediate apex, proportional lengths of the joints nearly as in reslalis; last joint of the maxillary palpi' very short, broader than long, obtusely angulate. Prothorax widest at slightly less than one-third its length from the apex where the sides are somewhat angularly rounded and thence very strongly convergent and slightly arcuate to the apical angles, and very slightly convergent and nearly straight to the base ; the latter longer than the apex and more than two-thirds as long as the pronotal width ; disk convex, even, slightly less than one-fourth longer than wide, finely rather feebly densely and evenly punctate, not foveate along the base but narrowly and feebly eroded. Elytra at base very slightly wider than the pronotum, widest in the middle where
COLEOPTERA. 87 they are nearly twice as wide as tlie latter ; sides evenly and strongly arcuate throughout ; together rath.er ohtusely rounded at the apex ; disk convex, sliglitly less than twice as long as wide, coarsely rather strongly and somewhatdensely and evenly punctate ; punctures im])ressed, interspaces slightly convex. Legs long and very slender ; femora slender, rather abruptly clavate near the tips ; tarsi very slender, first joint of the posterior nearly twice as long as the second and longer than the fifth, joints two to four uniformlyand very gradually decreasing in length. Length 1.4 mm. Ann Arbor, Michigan (Schwarz), 1.
Distinguishable from Afotschulskii by its smaller size, absence of pronotal foveae, and very coarse punctuation of the elytra. Employing the characters given by Dr. LeConte (N. Sp. Col. p. 20) for the two species described by him, we have the following table : — Prothorax short, nearly as wide as long.
Pronotura punctured behind gl'OSSUS.
Pronotum not punctured behind ; much smallerspecies...]fIotsclnilsk.ii. Prothorax much longer than wide.
Elytra very feebly and sparsely punctulate Testalis.
Elytra coarsely densely and strongly punctate, pillictatlis. BRYAXIS Leach.
B. facilis n. sp. — Form rather slender. Color piceous, antennae very slightly paler, elytra rufous, darker in a narrow transverse apical band, legs pale reddish^llavate ; pubescence excessively short and sparse, recumbent. Head much longer than wide ; interocular surface impunctate, having three deeply impressed circular spongy-pubescent foveae, which are exactly equal and at the vertices of an equilateral triangle ; intermediate surfaces rather strongly convex ; eyes rather large and prominent, very coarsely granulated ; antennae distinctly longer than the head and prothorax together, slender, first three joints decreasing uniformly in length and thickness, very slowly in the former and rather rapidly in the latter sense, third joint two-thirds longer than wide, joints three to seven equal, slender, and cylindrical, eighth scarcely as wide, quadrate, ninth slightly elongate, cylindrical, slightly thicker, tenth scarcely longer than wide, slightly trapezoidal, a little thicker than the ninth, eleventh slender, thicker than the tenth, as long as the three preceding joints together, obliquely and finely acuminate. Prothorax slightly wider than the head, widest very slightly before the middle, where it is about one-four,th wider than long ; sides strongly arcuate, almost straight toward the apex and base, the former three-fifths as long as the greatest width, and very slightly shorter than the latter, both equally and very feebly arcuate ; disk very strongly convex, impunctate ; lateral foveae large, spongy-pubescent, at one-third the length from the base; median very small, in the form of a nude puncture, very near the base, not connected with the lateral foveae. Elytra at base slightly wider than the pronotum ; sides strongly divergent posteriorly and feebly arcuate, transversely truncate behind ; disk rather convex, slightly shorter than wide, rather finely, closely.
.s8 NOirrn a:\ikrican and excessively feebly punctiilate ; siitural striae fine, straight, approxitnate i single discal stria line and distinct, exteriorly arcuate, nearer the suture than the lateral edge, abruptly terminating very near the apices, where it is feebly sigmoid. Abdominal segments very convex, polished ; border moderate, flat, rapidly becoming narrower posteriorly; dorsal carinae of first segment very fine, rather long, approximate, strongly divergent and arcuate ; surface finely punctulate. Length 1.3 mm.
Willets Point, Long Island, 1.
Tlif above description is taken from a male; the terminal ventral segment is broadly, ovally, and feebly impressed ; the apex of the last dorsal is very feebly sinuate at the immediate apex. The species should probably stand just after atlantica Brend. in the catalogue. ARTIliTIIUS Lee.
,4. gracilior n. sp. — Form rather slender. Head and elytra dark rufous, pronotum slightly darker, abdomen piceous, legs paler, ferruginous antennae very dark rufous ; pubescence long, rather coarse, semi-erect, rather sparse, more dense on the abdomen, where there is an admixture of longer hairs ; surface very highly polished throughout. Head ratlier large, as wide as long ; eyes large, very coarsely granulated ; interocular surface raised above them, nearly flat, impunctate, having two deep, nude, punctiform foveae on a line through the posterior third of the eyes, and mutually three times as distant as either from the eye ; antennal tuberculations rather large, not prominent, surface between them very feebly depressed, behind each the surface is very feebly and obliquely impressed ; epistoma rapidly declivous before the antennae and feebly convex, broadly rounded anteriorly, and having at each anterior angle a small dentiform tubercle ; labrum small, transversely oval ; antennae about as long as the head and prothorax together, rather slt;nder, basal joint moderate, emarginate at tip, bicarinate on its upper surface, second slightly elongate, cylindrical, third and fourth much shorter, e(jual, sub-globular, fifth abruptly and irregularly dilated, slightly shorter than the sixth, sixth slender, equal in length to the seventh, the latter slightly more robust, eighth as long as wide, dentieularly produced outwardly at apex, ninth slightly longer than wide, no thicker than the seventh, tenth as long as wide, slightly thicker than the ninth, eleventh slender, finely acuminate, nearly one-half thicker than the tenth, and slightly shorter than the three preceding joints together; all the outer joints are transversely truncate at base, the latter being surrounded by a narrow raised black bead. Prothorax scarcely as wide as the head, as wide as long, widest at one-third the length from the apex ; sides abruptly and very strongly convergent to the apex, which is scarcely one-half as long as the greatest width, and gradually convergent and moderately arcuate to the basal angles, just before which they are feebly sinuate ; base one-third longer than the apex; disk very strongly convex, impunctate and devoid of all modification, except a narrow transverse canaliculation at one-fifth the length from the base, which is very distinct, and terminating at each side in a small,
COLEOPTKUA. 89 ronnrled, nude, pnnctiform fovea ; at each side there are two erect setae much longer than the puhescence. Elytra at base very sliglitly wider than the base of the pronotum ; sides very strongly divergent posteriorly and strongly arcuate ; together transversely truncate behind ; disk fully one-fifth wider than long, rather strongly convex, very remotely and excessively feebly punctulate ; sutural striae very approximate, well marked and straight ; between each stria and the suture there is a row of minute and rather wellmarked punctures ; each elytron has three small, rather feebly impressed nude foveae at base ; humeri prominent. Abdomen at base as wide as the elytra, segments rapidly and arcuately decreasing in width ; surface moderatelyconvex, not punctate ; border obsolete, except on the first segment where it is feeble ; first segment very long, nearly as long as the remainder together when viewed from above, having in the basal two-fifths two very distant strong carinae, which are very feebly convergent ; first ventral segment having at each side just below the prolongation of the elytral edge a very long, strong, basal carina ; penultimate ventral segment very large, having in the middle a very large circular and very deep excavation, onefourth as long as the entire abdomen. Anterior tibiae strongly toothed ; femora all strongly fusiform. Length 1.4 mm.
Tampa, Florida (Scliwarz), 1 %.
I have retained the genus Arthmius Lee. distinct from Batrisus. at least until the genus Batrisus can be reinvestigated, because of the very different form of the body, the very elongate basal segment of the abdomen, the peculiarities of the pronotum and antennae, and the very singular deep excavation of the penultimate ventral segment. The present species differs from (//obicollis Lee. in its much more slender form, darker color, structure of tlie antennae, and n)ore particularly in the form of the abdominal excavation, wliich in (jlohicollls is not circular biit broadly lunate. The middle tibiae in both these species, at least in the males, have a single acute terminal spur; the tooth of the anterior tibiae is deeply excavated anteriorly, the excavationextending obliquely along the tibia.
BATRISUS Aube.
B. denticollis n. sp. Mule. — Form slender. Color black, elytra dark rufo-piceous, antennae, legs, and palpi dark rufo-testaceous ; integuments highly polished ; pubescence long, sparse and coarse, erect and herissate, slightly more dense on the abdomen. Head large, slightly wider than long ; eyes small, prominent ; interocnlar surface elevated abruptly very far above the eyes, generally nearly flat above, having two very large circular, feebly impressed spongy-pubescent foveae on a line with the eyes, and mutually nearly twice as distant as either from the eye, intermediate surface rather convex, with feeble traces of a narrow medial longitudinal carina; the two foveae are connected by an anteriorly arcuate rather feebly impressed channel ; supra-antennal tuberculations very large, flat, coarsely and distinctly
90 NOKTII A>tKniCAN punctate, intermediate surface finely punctate, feebly depressed, hioadly an'l rather strongly eniarginate anteriorly, bottom of the emargination having two approximate strong triangular teeth ; remainder of the head iuipunctate ; clypeal surface between the bases of the antennae very deeply excavated under the overlianging porrected inter-antennal portions of the front, broadly arcuate anteriorly, and bearing two elongate, oblique, approximate tuberculations, which are directly under the two teeth of the frontal emargination : labrum very transverse, transversely truncate anteriorly, strongly constrictedat base ; antennae stout, about as long as the head and pronotum togetlier, basal joint moderate in size, very irregular in shape, being eniarginateat tip and tuberculate beneath, joints two to four decreasing uniformly in length, the latter quadrate, joints four to seven nearly equal, eighth very slightly shorter, transverse, ninth very slightly larger, slightly transverse, strongly cuneate, being wider externally, tenth abruptly much larger, subglobular, eleventh but very slightly wider than the tenth, longer than wide, as long as the two preceding together, abruptly, obliquely, and finely acuminate at tip. Prothorax very slightly longer than wide, widest at two-fifths its length from tli(^ apex, where it is scarcidy as wide as the head ; sides at this point very strongly arcuate, thence convergent and sinuate to the base ; apex scarcely one-half as long as the greatest width, and nearly three-fourths as long as the base; disk impunctate, strongly convex, having at one.fourth the length from the base a small, very deep, nude, median puncture, from which, extending anteriorly nearly to tlie apex, there is a narrow, very deep, cleft-like, and conspicuous canaliculation ; at two-fifths the length from the base there is on each side a large, circular, feebly impressed, spongy-pubescentfovea, extended anteriorly throughout as a narrow, deep canaliculation ; midway between the lateral and median foveae there is on each side a very strong, erect, acute tootli continued anteriorly as a fine, feeble carina : betweenthe median puncture and the basal margin there is a short, distinct, connecting <;arina, and near the basal margin on each side two deeply impressed punctures. Elytra at base equal in width to the base of the pronotum ; sides strongly divergent and arcuate throughout ; together very broa<lly arcuate behind ; disk about as wide as long, convex, very feebly and distantly punctulate ; sutural striae approximate, distinct; between each and the suture a row of fine punctures ; each elytron has at base three punctures, the middle are continued posteriorly through the basal third as a broadly impressed channel ; humeri having a small oblique acute discal tooth. Abdomen at base scarcely as wide as the elytra, equally long, rather convex, impunctate ; first dorsal with two, very short, parallel stout basal cusps. Legs slender, femora fusiform ; posterior tibiae long, arcuate, with a slender terminal appendage ; tarsi very slender ; nietasternum with a strong median canaliculation. Length 1.8 mm.
AVashington, District of Columbia (Scliwarz).
Ditlers from spretus Lit. by its larger size and tlie very deep medial canaliculation of the prouotuui.
B. vil'$>;illiac n. sp. — Form and t'olors nearly as in dtnticol/is; pubescencemore ciciise and conspicuous ; antennae slightly paler toward tip ; legs more slender, especially the femora.
COLEOPTERA. 91 Male. — Head large, sub-quadrate ; eyes small ; interocular surface elevated abruptly and very far above tliem, nearly flat above, baving two round, nude, deeply impressed punctiform foveae on a line tbrough tbe eyes, and mutually one-half more distant than either from the eye, joined by an anteriorlyarcuate feebly impressed channel; the portion of the head behind the channel and foveae being impunctate, the remaining portions being finely, densely, and strongly punctate ; surface between the foveae moderately convex, having a short medial carina ; antennal tuberculations very large and flat, surface between them not depressed, but strongly declivous anteriorly, and produced as a short, broad muzzle, tuberculate in the middle anteriorly, and dentate at the sides below, the teeth being densely setose ; beyond tiie medial tubercle the surface becomes perpendicular, and at its foot the muzzle is abruptly parrowed and produced as a flat triangular horn, which is deeply notched at the vertex ; under the declivous, overhanging muzzle with its bifid horn the head is deeply excavated posteriorly between the bases of the antennae, the transversely truncate anterior margin of the clypeus being directly under the tip of the horn ; the punctate portions of the front are more densely pubescent, the hairs being short and coarse ; beneath, behind the eyes, the pubescence is very dense and erect ; basal joint of the antennae as long as the next two together, robust, second slightly longer and wider than the third, joints three to eight almost exactly equal in width, nearlyquadrate, ninth slightly wider, distinctly transverse and very feebly cuneate, tenth abruptly much larger, almost exactly globular, eleventh as wide as the tenth, elongate, nearly as long as the three preceding together, obliquely acuminate at tip. Prothorax as wide as long. Pronotum and elytra nearly as in denticollis, the basal margin of the latter being much more strongly elevated, and the humeri not dentate. Basal carinae of first dorsal segment more approximate and feeble. Metasternum canaliculate medially; posterior tibiae having a similar terminal spur. Length (head extended) 2.0 mm. Stone Creek, Lee County, Virginia (Schwarz).
The larger claw of the anterior tarsi is distinctly cleft near the tip in the male. This is a very singular species, greatly I'esembling denticolUs in nearly all its features exce[)t the head, which is entirely different ; the punctuation of the inter-antennal portions of the head is much more dense and fine in virginice.
B. ateri'inilis n. sp. — Form slender. Color intense black throughout, antennae and legs very dark rufo-testaceous ; integuments extremely highly polished ; pubescence very sparse, coarse, and inconspicuous, except beneath the head behind the eyes, where it is more abundant. Head large, subquadrate, as wide as long ; eyes small, very convex ; interocular surface elevated abruptly and very strongly above them, nearly flat above, having two small, round, deeply impressed, spongy-pubescent fovae on a line with the posterior limits of the eyes, and mutually one-half more distant than either from the eye ; from each there is a feebly impressed, nearly straight channel extending anteriorly, the two strongly convergent, and becoming mutually obsolete between the antennae, making, with an imaginary line
92 NORTH AMERICAN between the foveae, an equilateral triangle ; supra-antennal tubercnlations rather large, somewhat elevated, very coarsely punctate; intermediate surfacefeebly depressed ; anterior to a line across the tubercnlations the surface becomes abruptly very strongly declivous, gradually becoming less so, and more porrected at the edge of the very short, broadly rounded clypeus, the surface of which is confusedly rugulose; occiput irapunctate; labrum strongly transverse, paler in color, broadly and strongly eraarginate anteriorly, angles very prominent, constricted at base ; palpi pale ; antennae as long as the head and prothorax together, rather robust, basal joint not as long as the next two together, eraarginate at tip, second distinctly longer than wide, joints two to eight equal in width, nearly quadrate, except the second, ninth equal in length, slightly transverse, oval, tenth slightly wider and longer than the ninth, slightly transverse, oval, eleventh distinctly wider than the tenth, elongate, as long as the three preceding joints together, obliquely acuminate at tip ; under surface densely punctate, scabrous. Prothorax very slightly longer than wide, nearly as in the preceding species, except that the carina on each side from the posterior tooth is obsolete immediately before tiie latter, but reappears at the middle of the disk as a second minute tooth. Elytra nearly as in the preceding species, except that the punctuation is very remote, even, minute, and distinct ; punctures of the rows betweenthe sutural striae more distant; humeri strongly but minutely toothed. Abdomen convex, remotely and very minutely punctulate ; cusps at the base of the first dorsal segment very robust and strongly elevated. Legs slender ; claws minute. Length 2.0 mm.
C:iniI»ri(Ige, Massachusetts (Schwarz).
Tlie above-described specimen is probably a female. Just before tlie larjre posterior spines of the pronotum there is a minute spongyl)ubescent fovea. Tlie emargination of the labrum and structure of the antennae and liead abundantly distinguish this species from the two preceding, and the first ciiaracter may prove useful in a future classilication of our species. There are no carinae on the surface of tiic (irst ventral segment as in Arthmius, but instead a distinct rounded tubercle situated at the basal edge on each side. As far as I can observe the present species is provided with a terminal posterior tibial spur.
I notice in looking over 31. Katliay's interesting descriptions of Pselapliidae (Kevue d'Eutomologie, 1882), tliat this author gives the name sinipfer to one of his species of Hatrisus ; as this name had already been api)lied by Dr. LeConte to a North American species of this genus (Proc. Am. Pliil. Sec. 1878, j). 598), it may perhaps be proper to propose the name Raffrayi for the former.
Pending a general revision of the species of this genus, which is surely needed, and which it is the intention of the autlior to attempt, l>rovided sufficient material can be obtained, it may be slated that