274 [February, 



pubescence. Racemes small, simple ; berries large, -2 of an inch in diameter, 

 round, black, reddish or white. 



This vine most frequently produces fruit of a delicious flavor and very sweet. 

 In North Carolina much wine is made from the grapes, but generally it is spoilt by 

 mixing it with peach brandy or whiskey to increase its strength. Among the 

 ignorant it is commonly thought that no fermented juice of fruit can be kept for 

 any length of time, unless it is adulterated with alcoholic spirit. 



In the pine forests of Georgia the V. rotundifolia is found prostrate, with stems 

 scarcely three feet long. 



12. V. PALAiATA. Foliis ovato-cordatis utrinque glabris, profunde quinque 

 lobatis palmatis, laciniis sublanceolatis, inaequaliter lateque crenatis vel incisis. 

 Racemis subdensis subsimplicibus baccis magiiis albis gena cupraea. 



Hab. In North Carolina and oil the banks of the Ohio. V. palmata Vahl. 

 V. virginiana Poiret. 



This grape, which is the true Bland's grape of former years, was once (30 

 years ago,) extensively cultivated in the gardens of this city, but has since been 

 utterly lost. I cannot now find a single plant of it. It was perfectly hardy, 

 bore profusely and ripened before the frosts. 



The above description is made from memory assisted by Vahl's and Poiret's 

 descriptions. I have seen it growing wild in the mountains of North Carolina 

 and have been informed that it was once common on the banks of the Ohio 

 river. There is certainly no grape found in America that can be compared 

 with it ; in every respect it is equal to any variety of the V. vinifera, being 

 very sweet and perfectly free from pulp, and without that peculiar flavor which 

 is more or less common to all other American species. 



The V. cordifolia Mx. I have never met with, at least a species correspond- 

 ing with his description has never fallen in my way either in the North or South. 

 It is said to extend from Pennsylvania to Florida. There is another small and 

 sweet grape called the Orwigsburg which I have omitted, although said to be 

 native ; I could never satisfy myself that it was so. It has much the appearance 

 of foreign varieties. 



Of the foregoing species, those most worthy of cultivation are of No. 1, the 

 white variety, and the Isabella or Catawba, which would probably flourish in the 

 coldest parts of Europe; No. 6 and No. 11 and No. 12, all of which are sweet and 

 agreeable and furnish good wine. 



The Committee on Dr. Le Conte's "Synopsis of the N. Ameri- 

 can Siphales," and '^ Synopsis of the Scaphidilia of the United States," 

 reported in favor of publication in the Proceedings. 



Synopsis of the Silphales of America^ North of Mexico, 

 By John L. Le Conte, M. D. 



In the following synopsis, I have included also the Coleoptera which form 

 Erichson's family Ariisotomini, as the characters of that group appear to be by 

 no means sufficient to entitle it to rank as a distinct family. Schiodte has al- 

 ready* made similar remarks, detailing at the same time, strong reasons in sup- 

 port of his opinion. 



The genus Silpha presents among its species peculiarities which would furnish 

 abundant material for reflection to the philosophic naturalist; the species found 

 in this country, diff'er among themselves, by such variations of structure that 

 each becomes the type of a separate group. Several authors have already 

 designated many of these groups by generic names, yet the diff"erences between 

 them appear in value so much less than those which distinguish the genera, 



* Specimen Fauna; Subterranean : translated in the Transactions of the Ento- 

 mological Society of London, New Series, vol. 1, p. 134, et seq. 



