60 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



tracta* prominens, eremicola, rugosipennis, simplex, wilkesi, dietzi, 

 latipennis, moniliata, subanea and the true luxata, which seems to 

 be decidedly a ram avis. Prominens was seemingly represented by 

 a series of four exactly similar examples, taken at various localities, 

 from Albuquerque, New Mexico to southern California, until Mr. 

 Fall discovered that they are not that species at all but another 

 quite distinct, which he named parvicottis, and, on turning to the 

 original description of prominens under the preoccupied name angu- 

 lata (Ann. Lye. N. Y., V, p. 199) it becomes apparent that most of 

 us do not have the true prominens, which is a very large species 1.3 

 inch in length, if the "Long. .13" as published is to be so translated. 

 On the other hand, however, I find about a dozen forms that have 

 no names whatever as yet, and it is my purpose to describe these at 

 the present opportunity. It seems tolerably certain that the 

 angulata of Chevrolat, does not occur this side of the Mexican boun- 

 dary; at least the good figure given by Bates in the "Biologia" has 

 a very exotic appearance, and I certainly have never seen an ex- 

 ample of it in any American collection. It seems to be peculiarly 

 characteristic of the fauna of extreme southern Mexico, although 

 Mr. Bates makes a subsequent allusion to Chihuahua. 



Of the forms previously described by the writer (Ann. N. Y. Acad. 

 Sci., IX, p. 340), the five announced as species still seem to be valid 

 and isolated forms, and of those named as varieties all are valid, 

 at least as subspecies, excepting expansa, which proves to be merely 

 a synonym of calida. One at least, by the discovery of additional 

 material in central New Mexico, can be shown to have higher value 

 than originally assigned it; this species is 



Calosoma microsticta Csy. Similar to obsoleta in sculpture, lustre and 

 coloration, but much larger, with larger head, more transverse prothorax, 

 the sides of which are rather more reflexed basally and relatively much 

 shorter and broader elytra; punctures of the sternal side-pieces and sides 

 of the abdominal base coarser and more conspicuous. Length 20.0- 

 23.5 mm.; width 9.6-11.0 mm. New Mexico. 



* Believing that it is best to reduce everything pertaining to nomenclature to rigid 

 law and system, it seems evident that the gender to be given generic names should 

 be made systematic determined in fact solely by the form of the ending and not depend 

 upon the vagaries and exceptions of language. For this reason it would seem better 

 that all words ending, for example in a, should be considered feminine, in accordance 

 with the general Latin rule, irrespective of Greek gender, and I have therefore con- 

 sidered names having such endings as soma and derma as feminine, for nomenclatorial 

 reasons, and not neuter, as would be necessary from purely philological considerations. 



