254 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



crenate arcuate line, not quite joining the base at its ends; elytra nearly 

 as long as wide, widest near basal fourth, the sides broadly rounded, 

 moderately converging behind; cariniform line on the flanks, delimiting 

 the epipleura, strongly marked and entire, the disk smooth; pygidium 

 smooth and rather acutely parabolic; prosternal striae strongly arcuate, 

 more diverging basally, the included surface distinctly elongate; post- 

 coxal plaque of the metasternum short, very broadly rounded, adjoining 

 at the sides a similar raised surface on the mes-episterna, the line defining 

 the two continuous and very evenly rounded. Length 0.98 mm.; width 

 0.55 mm. Arizona (Williams), Wickham. A single example. 



There is no described species with which this can be compared 

 closely. The general outline is somewhat as in politus, but the 

 size is materially larger and the surface is evidently though very 

 minutely and sparsely punctulate. The transverse arcuate crenulo- 

 punctate pronotal line, near the base, is longer and less arcuate 

 than in basalis, from Yuma, and the size of the body is much 

 greater. Basalis is as small as Acritus angustus, and these two are 

 probably the most minute Histerids known as yet in our fauna. 



^Eletes tenebrosus n. sp. Body moderately broadly oval, convex, 

 shining, black throughout, the legs dark rufous and longer than usual; 

 head with a basal, laterally unmargined and minutely, sparsely punctate 

 part, and an apical quadrate and more deflexed part before the line of 

 the antennae, which has a strong entire ambient stria and a surface 

 strongly and rather closely punctate; prothorax scarcely more than one- 

 half wider than long, the sides very strongly converging, evenly and 

 moderately arcuate from base to apex, the surface very minutely, loosely 

 punctate and having, near the base, a long and nearly straight line of 

 strong crenulation, the crenules prolonged anteriorly in short striae; 

 elytra slightly shorter than wide, rather strongly inflated near basal 

 fourth, moderately narrowed apically, the sides broadly rounded; surface 

 smooth, with fine but strong and somewhat close-set punctures; carini- 

 form line on the flanks, delimiting the wide, flat and perfectly smooth 

 epipleura; prosternal striae parallel, barely arcuate and not much di- 

 verging apically or basally, the included surface but little longer than 

 wide; hind tarsi unusually long, very slender and with a stiff oblique 

 fringe of hairs beneath, the basal joint fully as long as the entire remain- 

 der. Length i.o mm.; width 0.68 mm. North Carolina (Tryon). 



The large size, black color, strongly punctured surface and very 

 elongate filiform hind tarsi, as well as the circularly ambient frontal 

 sulcus, would cause this species to be a very marked exception in 

 ^Eletes, though, as in that genus, there is no trace of scutellum and 

 the hind tarsi are similarly 4-jointed. These peculiarities, however, 

 would seem to demand subgeneric rank for tenebrosus, and I would 

 therefore suggest the name Acritinus (new subgen.) for it. Acritus 



