HlSTERID^E 279 



was placed in Plegaderus by Erichson and Marseul; this species 

 has no trace of the transverse thoracic sulcus of the other species, 

 though the more normal Plegaderus pusillus of LeConte also lacks 

 this dorsal sulcus. In North America the species of Plegaderus are 

 very numerous, and the following seven appear to be undescribed. 



Plegaderus obesus n. sp. Broadly oval, rather convex and polished, 

 black in color, the under surface and legs piceo-rufous; head finely, 

 sparsely punctate, more strongly and closely on the sloping anterior 

 part; prothorax a fourth wider than long, expanded slightly at base, the 

 sides rounded anteriorly; lateral stria and marginal punctate surface 

 well developed; disk divided at three-fifths from the base by a very 

 feeble impressed line, the anterior lobe finely and sparsely though evi- 

 dently punctulate, the posterior extremely minutely and remotely; 

 lateral groove scarcely obvious at the base; elytra slightly wider than 

 long, a third longer than the prothorax and, at the strong post-basal 

 dilatation, much wider; base with two fine oblique striae; punctures fine, 

 rather close-set, subelongate; laterally, they are connected by longi- 

 tudinal scratches, producing a loosely strigilate effect; pygidium strongly, 

 rather closely punctate; prosternum tumid and punctate in anterior 

 two-fifths, the remainder to the base occupied by a very large deep 

 polished excavation, with dense yellow hair anteriorly and with the 

 bottom convex along the median line opposite two longitudinal lines on 

 the mesosternum; legs slender, the anterior tibiae moderately inflated 

 in apical two-fifths, not modified on the external edge. Length 1.5-1.6 

 mm.; width 0.8-0.9 mm. New Mexico (Fort Wingate), Woodgate, 

 and Nebraska (Pine Ridge). 



This species is closely allied to the Calif ornian nitidus Horn, 

 but differs in its rather more elongate form, less inflated elytra, 

 the surface of which is more closely and strigilately sculptured, 

 and in some other minor features. These two constitute, struc- 

 turally, one of the more aberrant types of the genus in the peculiar 

 conformation of the prosternum. Nitidus is northern in California, 

 extending apparently to northern Idaho. 



Plegaderus egenus n. sp. Oblong, not very stout or convex, shining, 

 piceous-black, the legs paler; head finely, rather closely punctate, slightly 

 concave along the median line; prothorax a third wider than long, the 

 sides parallel, rounding rapidly at apex, the lateral groove fully attaining 

 the base, the marginal surface strongly and closely punctate; disk 

 divided at apical two-fifths by a deep conspicuous transverse groove, the 

 anterior lobe finely, rather closely, the posterior sparsely and rather more 

 finely, punctate, the latter with some coarser punctures scattered toward 

 base; elytra very nearly as long as wide, fully a third longer than the 

 prothorax, rather sharply though moderately inflated at the sides behind 

 the base, thence much narrowed, with arcuate sides, to the apex; surface 

 strongly, evenly punctate, the punctures separated by about twice their 



