286 [February, 



A. rtificorne. Le Conte, Agassiz* Lake Superior, 222. 



Found from Lake Superior to Louisiana. Ttie tip of the elytra sometimes be- 

 comes rufescent; the abdomen is usually ferruginous, but is sometimes dark co- 

 lored ; I can find no difference between large and small individuals sufficient to 

 warrant their separation ; by actual measurement, however, Dr. Melsheimer's 

 type is two-thirds of a line long instead of one-third as stated by him. 



3. A. revolvens, piceum, nitidum, modice convexum, elytris subtiliter 

 punctatis, obsolete striatic, stria suturali postice profunda. Long. 14. 



Le Conte, Agassiz' Lake Superior, 222. 



One specimen from the north shore of Lake Superior. This species has the 

 power of contracting itself into a ball as perfectly as the preceding, and the late- 

 ral outline of the elytra is precisely similar ; it is very distinct by its less convex 

 form, and distinctly punctured elytra. 



B, Corpus subglobatile ; humeri obtusi. 



4. A. pule brum , nigrum nitidum, valde convexum, capite macula frontali 

 rufa, thorace laevi margine omni flavo, elytris subtilissime punctulatis, maculis 

 utrinque duabus magnis obliquis fiavis, antennarum basi pedibusque rufis. Long. 

 09. 



San Jose, California, under oak bark. The elytra are finely punctulate; the 

 sutural stria is deep and does not extend before the middle; the anterior spot 

 commences at the humerus, and becoming narrower, runs obliquely backwards, 

 nearly reaching the suture about the middle; the second spot commences below 

 the humerus, and forms a broad vitta parallel with the margin, and not reaching 

 the suture ; the thorax is sometimes black margined with yellow, sometimes yel- 

 low with a round discoidal black spot ; the club of the antennae is piceous, be- 

 coming rufous at its extremity. 



The left mandible of the male is armed with a long curved horn. 



'o 



5. A. difforme, piceum, nitidum, convexum, thorace vix subtilissime 

 punctulato, lateribus rufescente, elytris distincte punctatis, stria suturali antice 

 abbreviata. Long. '08. 



Phalacrus difformis Le Conte, Agassiz' Lake Superior, 222. 



Two males from the north side of Lake Superior. The left mandible is armed 

 with a long curved horn. The head is distinctly punctured ; the base of the an- 

 tennae, and the anterior feet are rufo-piceous ; the margins of the elytra are 

 rufescent. 



I have nothing to say in extenuation of my error in placing this species in the 

 genus Phalacrus, the form of the anterior coxae, and the filiform tarsi, if looked 

 at, would have taught me better. 



The genus Sternuchus Lee, (Agass. Lake Sup. 222) must be suppressed, 

 as, on careful examination, I find the club of the antennae to be two-jointed ; the 

 part described by me as the antennae of Sternuchus, appears to be an accidentally 

 adhering fragment of another insect. There, therefore, remains no character to 

 separate Sternuchus from Clambus, and the typical species must be called 

 Clambus gibbulus; it is the analogue of the European C. armadillo ; a 

 slightly pubescent species found in Pennsylvania was given me by Mr. Ziegler. 

 The genus Clambus, from the appearance of the under surface, may probably 

 enter the family Trichopterygia, but as yet its place seems uncertain. 



As an appendix to the present family, it may be proper to describe an insect 

 which is placed in many American cabinets under the name * Sphaerites america- 

 nus.' It is, however, by no means a Sphaerites, nor does it belong to the present 

 family, but from its transverse anterior coxae, entire prosternum, &c., &c., must 

 be placed in the family Nitidulariae, where it forms a new genus. 



PsiLOPYGA hee. 

 Sulci antennales recti divergentes ; labrum bilobum ; mandibulae dilatatae, 

 apice inflexa, acuminata, utrinque serrulata; palpi breves articulis ultimis ovali- 

 bus; mentum parvum. breve subpentagonum ; tibiae compressae modice dilatatae; 

 tarsi anteriores dilatati, postici simplices; pygidium nudum. 



