104 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



must either disregard these obstructive features in pursuing this 

 course or propose a separate family for Tisiphone; the former seems 

 preferable. The elytral suture, also, is dissimilar, being com- 

 pletely unmargined, and the scutellum has a different form, but the 

 tarsi are of the same general type, having a very long terminal joint 

 and two or three compactly united and inferiorly hispid short 

 basal joints, the intermediate abdominal segments similarly short 

 and the gradually sloping pygidium of similar nature but relatively 

 even more developed, so that the last abdominal segment is longer, 

 exceeding the first segment in length. The species are decidedly 

 minute, peculiar to the warmer parts of North America and the 

 only one described thus far from our own fauna is the Smicrips 

 palmicola of LeConte, from Florida, which, as recognized by Sharp, 

 is not the same specifically as Tisiphone hypocoproides Rttr., the 

 West Indian type of the genus. The following is another species, 

 apparently not identical with any hitherto described: 



Tisiphone texana n. sp. Form narrow, parallel, with feebly arcuate 

 sides, evenly convex, dull in lustre and red-brown in color, the micro- 

 reticulation everywhere very strong, obscuring the very minute punctures 

 of the elytra; pubescence even, not dense, consisting of small pale de- 

 cumbent hairs; head much shorter than wide and but very slightly nar- 

 rower than the prothorax, evenly convex, not constricted at base, the 

 eyes small and very prominent, finely faceted and subbasal; punctures 

 rounded and distinct laterally, wanting medially; epistomal suture deep; 

 antennae one-half longer than the head, the first two joints large, the 

 funicle suddenly narrow, parallel, composed of six small equal joints 

 which are about as long as wide, the club abrupt, loosely 3-jointed, the 

 first two joints transverse, the second the wider and more than twice as 

 wide as the funicle, the third narrower and subcircular; prothorax a 

 fifth wider than long, parallel, with very evenly and moderately arcuate 

 sides; punctures small, circular and close-set over the entire surface; 

 scutellum well developed, semicircular, flat; elytra parallel, with evenly 

 and distinctly arcuate sides, distinctly wider than the prothorax and not 

 quite twice' as long, truncate at apex, not striate; pygidium much longer 

 than wide, feebly convex, gradually arcuately narrowed to the broadly 

 obtuse and arcuate apex, the punctures very minute and subasperate; 

 abdomen almost impunctate; metasternal side-piece parallel and well 

 developed ; legs short and simple, the hind coxae widely separated. Length 

 1.0-1.4 mm.; width 0.25-0.35 mm. Texas (Austin and Brownsville). 

 Six specimens. 



Differs from palmicola Lee., in its rather less minute size, more 

 arcuate sides of the body, somewhat longer antennae, rather longer 

 and laterally more arcuate elytra and more elongate, less broadly 

 truncate pygidium. The mandibles are briefly bifid at tip. 



