LEPTOCHIRUS. 137 
molari, dextra dentibus duobus tenacibus denteque molari mediocri, hoc a dente tenace vicino sepius 
parum disjuncto. 
Long. 14-18 millim. 
Hab. Mexico (Flohr), Jalapa (Hoge); Guatemaua, El Tumbador, Cerro Zunil, San 
Lucas 6500 feet, Volcan de Fuego 6400 feet, Capetillo, San Gerdnimo, Purula, Sabo, 
(Champion); Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui, Bugaba, Tolé (Champion). 
Var. a. 
Major; mandibula sinistra haud crassa, dentibus duobus tenacibus denteque molari valde elongato, perparum 
prominulo; dextra dentibus duobus tenacibus denteque molari valde prominulo, a dentibus tenacibus 
intervallo longe et profunde disjuncto. 
Long. 20 millim. 
Hab. Mexico, Sinaloa (H. Edwards). 
Var. B. 
Major; mandibula sinistra dentibus tribus tenacibus, absque dente molari, dextra dentibus duobus tenacibus 
denteque molari mediocri, hoc a dente tenace vicino parum disjuncto. 
Long. 22 millim. 
Hab. Costa Rica (van Patten). 
Var. y. 
Vertice in medio anterius punctis duobus approximatis impresso. 
Hab. Guatemala, Duefias (Champion). 
This insect, like L. molossus, is placed in collections as L. scoriaceus. The larger 
developments of LZ. edax can be distinguished by a glance at the slender basal portion 
of the left mandible; the right mandible moreover appears at first to have only one 
angular tooth instead of two, but as the molar mass has an upper angular portion more 
or less detached from its basal part, I have preferred to call this an angular tooth but 
little separated from the molar tooth. 
The small developments of ZL. edax are difficult to distinguish in a perfectly satis- 
factory manner from the imperfectly developed examples of L. molossus: the left 
mandible not only becomes shorter, but its basal portion becomes thicker, so that a 
molar tooth or mass evidently exists. In the small developments of Z. edax this 
molar mass has a large longitudinal and a slight transverse extension, while in the 
small developments of Z. molossus the reverse is the case. 
There are some peculiar aberrant forms of which I have not seen sufficient examples 
to justify me in treating them as distinct, and which I therefore place at present as 
varieties. 
Of the vars. a and y I have seen only two examples of each; of var. 6 only one 
specimen. There exist also variations in other points that appear to me of minor 
importance, such as the extent of the sculpture on the ventral segments and the form 
of the erect tooth or horn of the left mandible; this latter not very rarely has the hind 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Coleopt., Vol. I. Pt. 2, March 1887. 5 BB 
