TUIIiK VII. KRIIMIIXIXI. 207 



as head and thorax, distinctly tapering, scaly and coarsely punctate except 

 near apex; of female much more slender, evenly cylindrical, one-half 

 longer than head and thorax, smooth, polished and naked except near base. 

 Thorax convex, as wide as long, sides broadly rounded, the apex three- 

 fourths as wide as base; disc finely and rather sparsely punctate, without 

 median smooth line. Elytra at base one-third wider than thorax, not im- 

 pressed behind the humeri, stria? not obviously punctate, otherwise much as 

 in constrit-tits. Length 2.5 3 mm. 



Highland Park, Chicago, Illinois; Sept. 9. Known elsewhere 

 from Texas to Arizona. Specimens were compared with the types 

 in the Cambridge museum. 



IX. SMICROXYX Schon., 1843. (Gr., "small" -+- "claw.") 



A large genus of small, subovate, robust species having the 

 beak shorter than in Dcsnioris, strongly constricted at base ; front 

 scaly; eyes transversely oval, narrowly separated beneath; thorax 

 usually narrowed in front and constricted near apex, postocular 

 lobes usually present; scutellum small, distinct; elytra wider at 

 base than disc of thorax, usually acutely rounded to apex; tarsal 

 claws connate to a variable extent. More than 60 species of the 

 genus have been named from the United States, mostly by Casev 



ti V . 



and Dietz in the papers cited. Of these, 26, none over 3.5 mm. 

 in length are known from our territory. The tables of Dietz are 

 unsatisfactory, especially the characters separating his primary 

 divisions which, even if well grounded, are very difficult to make 

 out. We have, therefore, followed for the most part the classifi- 

 cation of Casey, separating our species into three groups and 

 modifying his keys in order to include the valid species of Diet/ 

 which were later described. 



KEY TO GROUPS OF EASTERN SPECIES OF SMICROXYX. 



a. Elytra more or less distinctly inflated, rounded on the sides, widest 



about the middle, conjointly at most one-half longer than wide. 



(Fig. 66, c.) GROUP I, p. 207. 



aa. Elytra not at all inflated, much longer than wide, parallel at sides 



toward base. (Fig. 66, d., e.) 



1). Scales of elytra almost uniform in size and density over the entire 

 surface, either uniform in coloration or more or less mottled. 



GROUP II, p. 210. 



bl>. Scales of elytra very uneven, condensed in spots or transverse wavy 

 bands or lines, in which the scales become larger and generally 

 paler in color. GROUP III, p. 216. 



GROUP I. 



Strongly convex species with elytra more or less ventricose or 

 oval, widest about the middle; beak longer than head and thorax. 



