264 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



Group VI (assimiUs}. 



The striae of the prosternum are here rather shorter than in the 

 preceding group, diverge rather more rapidly anteriad, and each 

 ends in a small fovea; this is seen very clearly in assimiUs, which is 

 one of the larger species; most of the species are notably small in 

 size and there are a great many of them, more probably than in 

 any other group of the subgenus. There are two new species in 

 my collection, which may be described as follows: 



Saprinus brevicollis n. sp. Strongly ovoidal, more obtuse behind than 

 in front, strongly convex, the legs rufous, the pygidium piceous; head 

 finely but strongly, closely punctate, the cariniform line of the base and 

 sides becoming oblique and straight on the front; prothorax relatively 

 small, twice as wide as long, the sides very strongly converging from the 

 base, feebly arcuate, more so distally, the marginal line fine; surface 

 rather finely but strongly and not very sparsely punctate, a little more 

 strongly and distinctly more closely so toward the sides, slightly more 

 finely again near the edges; base without larger punctures, except a few 

 medially; before the scutellum there is a small smooth spot; elytra 

 rather short, though nearly two-thirds longer than the prothorax, strongly 

 rounded at the sides, scarcely inflated at base, distinctly wider than the 

 prothorax, minutely and remotely punctate, the punctures gradually be- 

 coming stronger and less sparse in more than apical half and inner three- 

 fourths, the sides smoother; four discal striae groove-like, impunctate, 

 except the fourth, which arches at base; sutural represented by only a 

 short, very fine and feeble line at the middle, the first three extending 

 nearly three-fourths, the fourth slightly beyond the middle; outer sub- 

 humeral wanting, the inner a very fine disintegrated short line, barely 

 traceable behind the middle, the oblique humeral very feeble; pygidia 

 somewhat strongly and densely punctate, the propygidium impunctate 

 basally; prosternal striae each ending in a rather large deep fovea just 

 behind the apical margin; included surface convex; mesosternum very 

 minutely and remotely punctulate; anterior tibiae with numerous very 

 small serrules externally. Length 2.4 mm.; width 1.9 mm. Michigan 

 (Marquette), Sherman. 



This species, because of its short and rapidly narrowed prothorax 

 and ample elytra, has a rather peculiar appearance, though not 

 unremindful of detractus Csy. The latter, however, has a normally 

 large prothorax and greatly abbreviated first dorsal stria a rather 

 unusual character. From laridus the present species differs in its 

 broadly oval form, black color, longer and coarser discal striae and 

 in many other features; the head is even less developed than in any 

 of the allied species. 



Saprinus contractus, which I described from a unique, personally 



