ClCINDELID.'E AND CARABID/E 99 



(cf) 21.0, (9) 18.5-19.0 mm.; width (cT) 6.9, (9) 6.2 mm. Cali- 

 fornia (Placer Co.) morionides Chd. 



The tarsal peculiarities in morionides are extremely marked, not 

 only in the form of the joints but in the relatively short basal joint, 

 but, in view of the marked similarity in general habitus of the body, 

 I cannot regard this as at all generic in significance, but only a 

 peculiar development in a special organ due to some isolated 

 feature of environment. Nearly all the species have the last 

 male ventral segment strongly carinate medially, the carina not 

 attaining the base and more prominently elevated near its anterior 

 limit, with the surface impressed along each side of the carina; this 

 carina varies but little from one species to another of the typical 

 Holciophori; it is however much shorter in cephalus than in domitor, 

 pollens or vancotweri, and, in domitor,ihe tuberculiform elevation is 

 at the centre of the disk, while in pollens it is far anterior to the 

 centre. In morionides, however, it is wholly obsolete, but, as it 

 reappears in a greatly modified form in certain species of Pterostichus, 

 such as serripes and adoxus, I do not think that it can be held to 

 possess generic value of any great weight, except in indicating groups 

 of species. At any rate, it is my conviction that general habitus 

 is by far the most important structural character for estimation of 

 genera in the difficult Feronia group. 



Pterostichus Bon. 



Among our species at present listed under this name, there are 

 several groups that could well be considered generic. In fact the 

 Munich catalogue has distributed many of them among such genera 

 as Argtttor, Omaseus, Steropus erroneously including Evarthrus Lee. 

 and Platysma, but in a manner very confusing and frequently 

 incorrect. However, as it would answer no good purpose to assign 

 the vast majority of our species to genera other than Pterostichtts, 

 until a general study of the species of the world could be undertaken, 

 I shall not attempt such partition except in a few cases. 



The species of LeConte's first division, having no dorsal elytral 

 foveae, are extremely numerous on the Pacific coast and, though 

 closely allied among themselves, in many instances, can always be 

 recognized at a glance when juxtaposed in series. For convenience 

 of reference I would divide this section of the genus, which is entirely 



