LONGICORNIA. 227 
characters mentioned as distinguishing P. batesi from P. wallisi are valid. The man- 
dibles of the male show grades of development nearly as they do in most male 
Lucanide, and the spines of the thorax vary in a singularly abrupt way; though the 
examples in which the anterior angles are rounded, or some of the lateral spines fail, 
are rare. It is the same with the spines of the crown, so distinctive of this group of 
Psalidognathus ; they are liable to become much reduced or disappear altogether. 
Whether our species is really the P. modestus, Fries, or one of the very nearly allied 
species found in the Cauca valley, must remain at present doubtful. But it is 
extremely probable that these nearly allied forms are varieties of one and the same, 
though they differ much in the female, the male offering no marked difference. The 
singular flattened antenne of the male, which M. Thomson makes a distinguishing 
feature of P. limbatus, is probably only an aberration, as antenne still more remarkably 
flattened occur on an undoubted example of P. modestus taken by Mr. Champion on 
the Volcan de Chiriqui. Under these circumstances, and considering that the present 
species or race is the most widely distributed of the group, it will probably be found 
that P. modestus, Fries, is the correct name for it. 
PRIONUS (p. 4; to follow the genus Psalidognathus). 
Prionus, Geoffroy, Hist. Ins. d. environs d. Paris, p. 198; Lacordaire, Gen. des Coléopt. viii. 
p. 60. . 
A well-known genus, widely distributed over the north-temperate zone, one of the 
species occurring in the British Islands. A species is recorded from Madagascar and 
another from Australia; but temperate North America furnishes a greater variety and 
number of forms than any other part of the world of similar area. About twenty- 
five species belong to the genus. The two following are the first known to occur south 
of the United-States borders :— 
1. Prionus flohri. 
P. californico affinis, sed multo angustior antennisque longioribus et gracilioribus 13-articulatis. Piceo-niger, 
pectore dense flavo-piloso, palpis et abdomine rufis; capite inter oculos convexo et sulcato, post oculos 
transversim depresso ; antennis articulis 3°-13™ angustioribus, apice utrinque longe productis; thorace 
fere sicut in P. californico, sed angulis anticis et posticis longius et acutius spinosis, spina mediana plus 
minusve hamata ; elytris crebre et grosse (fere sicut in P. brevicornt) punctato-rugosis. 
Long. 1 in. 4 lin. ad lin. 8lin. ¢ Q. 
Hab. Mzxico, San Juan Tumbio, under pine-logs (Flohr). 
Apparently allied to P. curvatus, Lec. ; but the elytra more strongly sculptured and 
the antenne differing in the number of the joints. 
2. Prionus mexicanus. 
P. californico affinis, sed differt inter alia antennis 14-articulatis; a P. flohri differt antennis brevioribus et 
multo crassioribus. Nigro-piceus, interdum partim castaneo-fuscus, subtus rufior ; antennis latis, brevibus 
2g 2 
