96 MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA 



not at all different from that of serripes, planctus and herculaneus 

 and the emargination of the epistoma and labrum, alluded to by 

 LeConte, is only a broad and moderate sinuation from side to side, 

 frequently observable in other species of Pterostichus. 



Holciophorus Lee. 



This genus includes an unexpectedly large number of specific 

 forms. Ater Dej., was not correctly identified by LeConte, who 

 applied the name to the very large species, with fine striae, flat inter- 

 vals and more or less opaque elytra, of which there are a number at 

 present in collections. A reference to the original description of 

 Dejean (Spp. des Col. Ill, p. 339) shows that ater is entirely of a 

 rather shining black, with fine striae and flat intervals, and that it is 

 a much smaller species than those to which the name is usually 

 attached, being only 19 by 7 mm. in dimensions. The specimen 

 in my collection which I have selected to represent ater, is a female, 

 slightly larger than the measurements given by Dejean, but having 

 the prothorax, as stated, almost as long as wide; it is shining, with 

 the elytra subopaque probably due in part to sex and is from Port- 

 land, Oregon. The species, or possibly in some cases what may be 

 considered subspecies, before me may be known as follows: 



Joints of the middle and hind tarsi gradually narrowed from apex to 

 base 2 



Joints of the middle and hind tarsi constricted and pedicellate basally; 

 prothorax as in ater 6 



2 Sides of the prothorax becoming straight and nearly parallel for some 

 distance before the basal angles, which are right or very nearly so 

 though more or less blunt 3 



Sides of the prothorax oblique and more feebly sinuate basally, the 

 angles distinctly obtuse and often very blunt 5 



3 Form slender, the head moderate, only a little more than half as 

 wide as the elytra, deep black, strongly shining, the elytra strongly 

 micro-reticulate and alutaceous; head scarcely two-thirds as wide 

 as the prothorax, the apical impressions deep but not large, the 

 epistoma and labrum only just visibly and broadly sinuate from side 

 to side; antennae moderately thick and compressed, gradually 

 brown distally; prothorax almost as long as wide, strongly narrowed 

 basally, the base rectilinearly truncate, a little more than two-thirds 

 the maximum width, the two latero-basal lineiform impressions form- 

 ing the lateral limits of a large deep impression; elytra more convex 

 than in any other, a fifth wider than the prothorax, two-thirds longer 

 than wide, the striae fine but evidently impressed and finely, not 

 closely but distinctly punctate, the intervals becoming rather strongly 



