252 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



raised lines, so constantly present in Priomis. The hind tarsi are 

 very much shorter than in that genus, and the basal joint beneath is 

 not channeled but broadly concave and loosely pubescent throughout 

 its extent. The lateral teeth and glabrous surface of the prothorax 

 are as in Priomis, and the anterior tooth is no more prone to become 

 extinct than in such forms as Priomis kempi, curticornis and brun- 

 neus, for example. Our two known species may be distinguished 

 as follows: 



Color black, the legs and antennae also deep black; surface convex, only 

 moderately shining; head moderate though larger than in the fol- 

 lowing species, narrowed at base, the eyes moderate, rather convex, 

 separated by three-fifths their width; antennae (cf ) extending slightly 

 beyond the middle of the elytra, only moderately thick, the last 

 joint much compressed, as long as the preceding and a little narrower, 

 evenly oval, narrowed at base, twice as long as wide; last maxillary 

 palpal joint two-fifths longer than the preceding; prothorax scarcely 

 more than twice as wide as long, notably convex, more shining than 

 the elytra, finely, rather sparsely but deeply punctate, more closely 

 but only a little more coarsely toward the sides, the anterior and 

 middle teeth acute and rather well developed, the latter slightly 

 the more prominent, the basal angles right, rather blunt, not prom- 

 inent; scutellum moderate, rather obtuse; elytra one-half longer 

 than wide, fully a third wider than the prothorax, the sides notably 

 converging and barely at all arcuate from base to the obtusely 

 rounded apex, not dehiscent, finely, feebly and sparsely punctate 

 and feebly, irregularly rugulose, the raised lines feeble; sterna con- 

 spicuously pubescent; abdomen picescent, slightly pubescent 

 basally; tarsi short, notably broad. Length (cf) 26.5 mm.; width 

 10.8 mm. New Mexico (Albuquerque). [Prionits palparis Say, 

 Journ. Ac. Phila., Ill, p. 327] palparis Say 



Color evenly red-brown, moderately convex, rather shining throughout; 

 legs concolorous, the antennas paler and more ochraceous; head 

 moderately small, the tempora parallel and feebly, evenly arcuate, 

 fully as wide across the middle of the latter as across the eyes, which 

 are notably small, transverse, feebly convex and separated by one- 

 half more than their own width; palpi slender, pale, the last joint 

 fully one-half longer than the preceding; antennae (cf ) but moder- 

 ately thick, feebly diminishing and only very moderately compressed 

 distally, extending three-fifths from the elytral base, the last joint 

 very evenly oval, obliquely narrowed basally, its faces even and 

 convex, twice as long as wide, about as long as the preceding; 

 angles and edges of all the joints obtuse and rounded; prothorax 

 evidently more than twice as wide as long, moderately convex, 

 glabrous, punctured sparsely but rather strongly as in palparis, 

 the surface tumescent on the median line at apex, and with the 

 oblique arcuate sublateral impression and tumidity behind the 

 middle distinct; median teeth well developed, acute and spiniform, 



