08 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



acute tubercle ; the punctures of the thorax are fine, and there is a smooth 

 space each side of the middle. The elytra are finely rugous, sparsely punc- 

 tured, and vary in color, from black to fuscous ; there is a pale band at the 

 middle, sometimes reduced to a sutural spot ; the apical margin is also pale. 

 The pectus and sides of the abdomen are tolerably coarsely punctured. The 

 antennae are fuscous, sometimes paler ; the feet are dark testaceous. The 

 wings of the male are transparent; iu the female there is a subapical fuscous 

 cloud as usual. 



In none of my specimens are the antennae bright yellow, as described by 

 Say, and I therefore suppose his description to refer to a species unknown to 

 me. 



7. M. americanus Guerin, Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. xi. 369. Icon. Re"gne 

 An. tab. 34, fig. 5. 



Unknown to me ; seems by the figure to be an entirely black species, about 

 the size of M. f a s c i a t u s. 



Notes on the Speoiea of EAEPALUS inhabiting America, north of Mexico. 

 BY JOHN L. LE CONTE, M. D. 



My attention has been recently drawn to the essay on classification of the 

 Harpalini of Denmark, by Schiodte,* and I have attempted by aid of the ideas 

 therein developed to group our species in a natural manner. In doing this, 

 I have noticed peculiarities in some of them, which seem to show that 

 the characters used in the essay quoted do not possess the value that has 

 been attributed to them by the author. 



Thus, for example, in the first division (genuine Ilarpalini,) Bradycellus is 

 separated from all the other genera by the last joint of the palpi being atten- 

 uate, and the body smooth ; in the other genera the last joint of the palpi is 

 fusiform, and the body reticulate. 



I find that this is correct, as far as relates to the genera allied to Aniso- 

 dactylus; but fails in the others; in Stenomorphus and Gynandropus the 

 surface is not reticulate, while in Gynandrotarsus it is quite distinctly so. 

 In most species of the group (or perhaps genus) Selenophorus the surface is 

 reticulate, but in the iridescent species (o p a 1 i n u s Lee, gagatinus Dej., 

 and i r i p e n n i s Say,) no trace of reticulation can be seen ; in S. f a t u u s 

 Lee. it can scarcely be observed. 



Similar exceptions may be found among the typical Harpalus : thus in H. 

 amputatus Say, the female is very finely reticulate, and the male is 

 polished ; the reticulation is scarcely perceptible in the male of H. f al 1 ax 

 Lee, megacephalus Lee, while in both sexes ofH. spadiceus Dej., 

 testaceus Lee and nitidulus Chaud., the surface is polished. 



So in the Stenolophini, in which the body is declared to be smooth, a 

 similar exception is seen in the finely reticulate S. carbonarius. 



The fundamental division of the species of Harpalus into two groups, (I. 

 Setaj ambulatoriae abdominales pilis nullis intermixtae: setae ambulatoriae 

 femorales parciores et graciliores, foveolis setigeris minutis, and II. Setae 

 ambulatoriae abdominales pilis longioribus inaequalibus intermixtae : setae 

 ambulatoriae femorales copiosae validiores, foveolis setigeris plerumque pro- 

 fundus impressis,) seems to me also defective when applied to our species. 

 I find that the ambulatorial setae of the anterior thighs are more numerous 

 and stronger in the males than in the females, and that the use of this char- 

 acter will be likely to lead to error. In some species I observe some long 

 bristles about midway between the ambulatorial setae and the side of the 

 abdomen, which may serve to group the species in a secondary manner. I 

 have termed them accessory setae. 



* Kroyer, Tida. 3d ser. vol. i. 



[June, 



