348 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



meaning and, if one will but compare knochi with the other species, 

 he will observe at once that there is no indication whatever of that 

 difference of general habitus, which, though perhaps sometimes 

 feeble, always accompanies to greater or less degree a valid generic 

 or subgeneric group of species. If Mr. Mann had designated as 

 his type such a species as planatus, for instance, which likewise has 

 a posteriorly angulate mentum in common with knochi, as also 

 in common with the genera Psilocnemis and Genuchinus, his name 

 would perforce have had to be adopted as that of a distinct genus, 

 notwithstanding its indecisive characterization. 



After careful study of Westwood's descriptions in the "Thesau- 

 rus," I am convinced that the synonymy given by Horn is warranted 

 by the literature, though possibly not by all the facts were the types 

 accessible for study. The numerous species of Cremastocheilus 

 now in my collection may be known as follows : 



Mentum with a large deep subparallel sinus at base; anterior tibiae 

 bidentate as usual 2 



Mentum with a very small, though narrow and parallel notch 7 



Mentum with a small shallow and sometimes almost completely obsolete 

 triangular or rounded notch 8 



Mentum entire at base, rounded to prominently angulate; anterior tibiae 

 sometimes tridentate 9 



2 Pronotal punctures rather small and very uneven in distribution, a 

 large transverse median area of the surface largely impunctate and 

 having an impression near each side. Body deep black, very 

 strongly shining, the legs black; head deeply, closely and sometimes 

 confluently punctate, the clypeus strongly reflexed, truncate when 

 viewed vertically; prothorax fully two-fifths wider than long, the 

 sides peculiarly straight and parallel, the apical angles convex, the 

 inner cavity large and deep, not extending to the outer edge, the 

 hind angles sharp, defined externally by a moderately deep abrupt 

 sinus; surface rather uneven, glabrous excepting a dense cluster of 

 short thick hairs at each side behind the middle; upper surface of 

 the depressed hind angles finely, densely punctate basally; scutellum 

 with numerous moderate punctures throughout; elytra elongate, 

 distinctly cuneiform, at base fully a third wider than the prothorax, 

 the surface irregular, with two broad feeble longitudinal furrows, 

 coarsely, densely and strongly punctate, the punctures inclosing 

 oval flat opaque areolse, smaller, deeper and still denser at the sides; 

 hairs short, sparse and coarse; pygidium convex, closely punctate 

 and with short coarse hairs; under surface with shallow, moderate, 

 rather sparse annuli; hind tarsi rather short and compressed, 

 nearly three-fourths as long as the tibiae. Length 9.3-11.0 mm.; 

 width 4.0-5.1 mm. New Jersey and New York. Nine examples. 



harrisi Kirby 



