192 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



Front without sulci, though having two small anterior strioles; eyes small 

 or very moderate; antennae short and moniliform; recurvature of 

 the sutural stria very short 3 



2 Dorsal foveae of the elytra near the fourth stria, the posterior fovea 

 within the hamate tip of the recurvature of the sutural stria. 



I (proximus} 



Dorsal fovea3 on or inwardly attached to the third stria, the posterior 

 fovea nearly as in the preceding, the frontal sulci less approximate. 



II (vittiger] 



3 Body very small; palpi shorter than in the two preceding groups, the 

 mentum tooth but feebly developed Ill (Icevus) 



These groups were correctly separated and defined by Mr. Hay- 

 ward, but were, I think, given rather too little taxonomic weight. 

 It is impossible to correlate our species with those of Europe, be- 

 cause of lack of material, but it seems probable that the Icevus type, 

 at least, does not occur there. 



Group I proximus 

 Subgenus Tachys in sp. 



The species are numerous in this group and occur over the entire 

 country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, although represented in 

 my cabinet by only a single species, edax, in the true Pacific coast 

 fauna. As a rather remarkable character, it should be stated that 

 the second antennal joint is, perhaps always, very materially longer 

 than the third. Mr. Hayward utilizes the structure of the anterior 

 male tarsus in segregating the species of this difficult group. I 

 have tried, in the following table, to employ more general charac- 

 ters, not involving the sex of the individual, but probably without 

 the success that could be wished ; the species at present forming part 

 of my collection may be separated as follows: 



Prothorax with the sides oblique and broadly sinuate in rather more than 

 basal half; antennae thicker, the medial joints never more than twice 

 as long as wide; species allied closely to the European bistriatus 

 Duft 2 



Prothorax with the sides oblique more posteriorly, sinuate only near the 

 hind angles 3 



2 Form narrowly oblong, subparallel, feebly convex, alutaceous, umber- 

 brown, the prothorax a little clearer rufous; legs slender, testaceous; 

 integuments feebly micro-reticulate, the elytra with very minute 

 strigilation; surface moderately shining; head three-fourths as wide 

 as the prothorax, the sulci only visible anteriorly, obtuse and shal- 

 low; eyes moderately large, only feebly convex, extremely minutely 



