HISTERID.E 227 



dentate. Length 3.7 mm.; width 2.8 mm. Texas (Harris Co.), G. 

 Birkmann. 



Although the mesosternum is slightly sinuate, the prosternum 

 non-bistriate and the anterior tibiae tridentate, the general characters 

 of this species ally it more closely with the americanus than the 

 depurator group ; the sinus of the mesosternum is, in fact, so feeble 

 as to be barely traceable. 



In the three following species the mesosternum is truncate: 



Hister vestigialis n. sp. Broadly oval, moderately convex, highly 

 polished, black, the under surface and legs partially rufo-piceous, the 

 minute punctulation almost obsolete, extremely minute and sparse 

 on the head, a little closer on the epistoma, the cephalic stria entire, 

 broadly, feebly sinuate on the front; mandibles carinate throughout their 

 length; prothorax distinctly less than twice as wide as long, the sides 

 rather strongly converging from the base, evenly and very feebly arcuate, 

 a little more so behind the slightly blunt apical angles; outer stria very 

 fine, near the edge and extending to about the middle, the inner fine, 

 straight and subentire, the intermediate surface nearly flat; elytra trans- 

 verse, not quite one-half longer than the prothorax, the sides very strongly, 

 evenly arcuate, more converging behind, widest before the middle; three 

 entire dorsals parallel, moderate shallow, very feebly punctate, the first 

 unusually remote from the sides, the fourth represented by a series of 

 excessively fine and obsolescent strides and becoming distinct only in a 

 sharply marked deep elongate basal fovea, the fifth obsolete, the sutural 

 distinct and with minute punctures from basal third not quite to the 

 apex; humeral and subhumeral wanting, the oblique humeral very fine and 

 faint; inflexed sides nearly flat, with two very fine double striae; pygidia 

 shining, the propygidium with moderate, even, rather sparse and some- 

 what unequally separated punctures; pygidium with minute, sparse 

 punctures, obsolete apically and larger basally; prosternal lobe obtusely 

 rounded, not margined apically; anterior tibiae with five serruliform teeth, 

 the basal minute, the distal finely bifid. Length 4.4 mm. ; width 3.5 mm. 

 Texas (Dallas). 



A distinct species, easily recognizable by the peculiar form of the 

 fourth discal stria, tibial dentition, very broad outline, wide surface 

 between the sides and first dorsal stria and other characters. 



Hister laevicauda n. sp. -Broadly oval, more convex than the preceding, 

 shining, black, the legs piceo-rufous; punctulation very feeble as in the 

 preceding, more evident on the mandibles, which are carinate throughout; 

 head with the stria entire, transverse on the front; prothorax moderately 

 transverse, the sides strongly converging, straight basally, gradually 

 rounding anteriorly, the apical angles sharp; lateral striae very fine, the 

 outer short, not extending to the middle, the inner not quite attaining 

 the base; elytra moderately transverse, with strongly and evenly rounding 

 sides, widest near basal third, the three entire striae moderate, rather deep 



