230 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



only so figured but referred to in the text as an apparently natural 

 phenomenon, making of friedlanderi a very isolated species!* 



Tribe DEROBRACHINI. 



Orthosoma Serv. 



The genus Orthosoma was widely separated from Derobrachus and 

 placed in a different section of the Prioninae by Lacordaire, but 

 it is apparent that LeConte was more nearly correct in placing 

 them together in this tribe, for Lacordaire himself admits that 

 Orthosoma makes an exception among the genera with which it was 

 associated, in the form of the met-episternum, this being as in 

 Derobrachus. Our material in the genus has never been critically 

 examined and it seems evident that we have more than a single 

 species, however great the prevailing variability. The three forms 

 in my collection which appear to be worthy of names may be out- 

 lined as follows from the female: 



Middle coxae much more widely separated than the anterior; third 

 antennal joint much longer than the fourth 2 



Middle and anterior coxae equally separated; elytra decidedly less elon- 

 gate ; third antennal joint but little longer than the fourth 3 



2 Elytra fully two and one-half times as long as wide, parallel, with nearly 

 straight sides, two-fifths wider than the prothorax, the latter short, 

 very much more than twice as wide as long; eyes separated by but 

 little more than half their own width; antennae but just visibly 

 tapering from the second joint. Male nearly similar but smaller, 

 with the head small, the sides of the prothorax between the two an- 

 terior spines even or with a feeble obtuse projection. Length (cf ) 

 26.0-30.0, (9 ) 38.0 mm.; width (cf) 8.0-9.0, ( 9 ) 11.7 mm. North- 

 eastern America brunnea Forst. 



Elytra feebly dilated, parallel but with arcuate sides, scarcely more than 

 twice as long as wide, widest rather behind the middle, where they 

 are three-fourths wider than the prothorax, the latter less abbrevi- 

 ated, barely more than twice as wide as long; eyes separated by 

 three-fifths their own width; antennae much more tapering from the 

 second joint, relatively much more slender distally. Male stouter 

 than the male of brunnea but of nearly similar parallel and linear 

 form, except that the head is relatively much larger and the sides 

 of the prothorax, between the two anterior spines, have from one 

 to three posteriorly oblique irregular and very acute spinules; fifth 



* It may be that this matter is intended to be some sort of individual thrust at 

 Mr. Friedlander, as it is difficult indeed to conceive of it as a serious scientific con. 

 elusion. The injection of personal feeling into zoological nomenclature is, however, 

 an abhorrent idea that was roundly denounced by LeConte (Tr. Ann. Ent. Soc., 1874, 

 p. 84) in alluding to the name "staff," imposed by Schaufuss on a species of Pleocoma. 



