65 



a general resemblance with Olerus apiarius may be observed. 

 Is it a Olerus ? 



HARRIS TO HENTZ. 



MILTON, March 25, 1829. 



Among the numerous small insects in my cabinet, set aside 

 at first as undetermined for re examination, I have been so fortu- 

 nate as to discover a true Elodes, the Cyplion ovalis of Say. 

 The palpi are easily seen without dissecting the mouth. The 

 penultimate tarsal joint is bilobed, and the nails exceedingly 

 minute, and apparently simple. The antenna; are situated 

 below the inner orbits of the eyes, and the clypeus appears to 

 be emarginated on each side for the reception of the first joint 

 of the antenna, which is rather large ; the remaining joints are 

 obconic, except the last, which is oval. YOU will have no doubt 

 that your 814 is not an JElodes. Among my small insects are 

 two species allied to your 807, one of which nearly agrees with 

 Say's Mycetophagus flexuosus. This insect has the hand trime- 

 rous, and I have in vain looked for a penultimate joint. Not- 

 withstanding, it resembles in figure, antennas, etc., M. quadri- 

 pustulatus, as described and represented by various authors. 

 You may recollect that I mentioned a similar anomaly in the 

 male tarsi of Malaehius. I then thought that it was owing to 



O c? 



my want of acumen that I could discover only four joints in the 

 hand of my specimen, but repeated observations have confirmed 

 this fact, both in quadrimaculatus and vittatus. I have no 

 male of the tricolor., and these three are the only insects of the 

 genus in my possession, unless your 217 be one. [217 Hentz's 

 MS'S. Catal. = = Malaehius scincetus Say.] In addition to the 

 above remarks, written before I received your letter, I would 

 observe that I shall suspend mv judgment till I have European 

 specimens of Mycetophagus, as the genus now stands, for no 



OCCAS. PAPERS B. S. N. H. I. 



