258 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



Group I (discoidalis} . 



The distinguishing characters of this group are the long, parallel 

 and slightly curved prosternal strise, least widely separated near 

 the middle and more diverging basally than apically, the unusually 

 slender hind tibise, only feebly and remotely spinulose externally, 

 and a peculiar system of elytral sculpture the middle interstrial 

 surface partly smooth. It is singular that Dr. Horn should have 

 placed alienus Lee., in another group, for its affinities and structure 

 are in entire harmony with discoidalis. The following is a third 

 species : 



Saprinus cupreolus n. sp. Much less broadly rounded than in dis- 

 coidalis, convex, polished, cupreous above, piceous beneath, the legs 

 and tarsi black; head finely punctato-rugulose, with a large subbasal 

 discal fovea, the supraorbital stria turned inward slightly anteriorly; 

 prothorax twice as wide as the median length, the sides fimbriate, con- 

 verging and feebly arcuate from the base, more rounded apically, the 

 marginal groove subentire, the surface smooth and polished, becoming 

 rapidly densely and longitudinally rugose toward the sides smoother 

 apically and with some punctures along the base except medially; 

 scutellum small, equilateral; elytra shorter than wide, inflated behind 

 the base and wider than the prothorax, the discal striae nearly as in 

 discoidalis but finer, the first not so greatly curving inward apically, 

 the fourth sometimes as in the type curving inward and almost 

 uniting with the sutural at base; large discal mirror not limited by the 

 inner discal stria as in discoidalis, but extending unbroken to the second 

 stria, excepting slight opacity and punctuation at the base of all the in- 

 tervals; area of opacity confined to a longitudinal streak involving most 

 of the first interval and thence oblique posteriorly, this opaque area with 

 very fine sparse punctures; pygidium with the punctures nearly as in 

 discoidalis, the sterna and legs almost similar. Length 4.8 mm.; width 

 3.1 mm. Utah (southwestern), Weidt. 



Smaller and much narrower than discoidalis, with much more 

 restricted elytral opacity and with very bright cupreous lustre; of 

 discoidalis, I have a considerable series taken at various localities 

 from southern California to Jemez Springs, New Mexico and El 

 Paso, Texas. The following is a well marked subspecies of dis- 

 coidalis: 



Saprinus discoidalis ssp. amplus nov. Body very broadly oval and 

 large in size as in discoidalis, but with a bright cupreo-seneous lustre 

 above and having the opacity of the inner interval which in that species 

 is continuous excepting a short interruption at basal third almost 

 entirely wanting, except basally, but with some of the punctures of 

 discoidalis remaining. Length 5.9-6.9 mm.; width 4.0-4.7 mm. Cali- 

 fornia (near Yuma). Two examples. 



