HISTERID.E 215 



cuate and perfectly continuous anteriorly; prothorax nearly as in the 

 preceding but with the inner stria rather less distant from the 

 marginal, which is much abbreviated, ending near basal third or 

 fourth; elytra shorter, having feeble apical remnants of the fourth, 

 fifth and sutural striae; pygidia almost similarly sculptured, the 

 propygidium perhaps somewhat more coarsely and deeply; pro- 

 sternal lobe more broadly rounded and with the beading more 

 widely interrupted; tibiae almost similar. Length 5.2 mm.; width 

 4.0 mm. California (San Diego). A single example taken by the 

 writer jacobianus n. sp. 



Although decided structural peculiarities may be lacking, a view 

 of the comparative habitus of these species, is rather convincing 

 evidence that in this group several taxonomic forms have developed, 

 which may be considered specific provisionally. 



Group Merdarius. 



The following species is much narrower and more parallel than 

 any other of this group, as in remotus of the fcedatus group: 



Hister rectus n. sp. Elongate-oblong, parallel, with but feebly ar- 

 cuate sides, black throughout; head smooth, the strong ambient line 

 sinuate medially but not interrupted; prothorax only very moderately 

 transverse, the arcuate sides becoming subparallel basally; surface not 

 punctate at base or near the striae, the outer lateral stria almost entire, 

 not quite attaining the basal margin and not at all hooked, the inner 

 nearly entire, separated from the outer by one-half, more than the space 

 between the latter and the sides; anti-scutellar elongate puncture distinct; 

 elytra nearly as long as wide, barely at all wider than the prothorax, 

 only feebly swollen near basal third, the apex very broad; subhumeral 

 stria almost entire, the humeral completely wanting, the four discal 

 straighter than usual, the fourth not quite attaining the base, the fifth 

 and sutural equal, short and apical; propygidium moderately and rather 

 feebly and sparsely punctate; pygidium somewhat finely, loosely punctate 

 and evenly so throughout, except at the rather abruptly smooth tip; 

 prosternal lobe evenly rounded and finely beaded, finely, loosely punc- 

 tate; mesosternum broadly and moderately sinuate; hind tibiae moderately 

 thick, the external spines of the double series moderate; anterior tibiae 

 with the outer margin very smoothly, broadly and feebly bisinuate, as 

 though obtusely tridentate or quadridentate, with the teeth worn almost 

 completely away, the anterior tarsi long, fully two-thirds as long as the 

 tibiae. Length 5.7 mm.; width 3.4 mm. Kansas (Douglas Co.). 



The remarkable anterior tibiae, as described above, may be simply 

 the result of wear in the unique type, but there is no special evidence 

 pointing to this conclusion. The species may be placed near felipce 

 Lewis. It seems to be rather closely allied to felipce (Ann. Mag. 



