1853.] 287 



The form of the body is very similar to that of Hister ; it is glabrous, elliptical, 

 and moderately convex ; the elytra are truncate, so as to expose the last dorsal 

 segment ; the male has an additional small anal segment. The anterior tibiae are 

 more dilated than the others ; their outer margin is finely serrulate, and the outer 

 angle somewhat produced ; the terminal spurs are unequal, the larger ones 

 slightly bent; the prosternum is dilated and rounded posteriorly ; the middle coxae 

 are distant. The first ventral segment is larger than the others. 



By this detail of the characters, this genus will appear obviously different 

 from any described by Erichson in his systematic arjangement of Nitidulariae, 

 (Germar's Zeitschr. 4, 267 et seq.) ; it seems to approach most closely Ischsena, 

 (p. 287,) and Ipidia (p. 289.) 



P. hi s t r i n a, elliptica, modice convexa, nigro-picea, nitida, capite thorace- 

 que parce punctulatis, punctis maioribus interraixtis, elytris striis 9 punctatis 

 impressis, interstitiis parce subtilissime punctulatis, pygidio punctato. 

 Long. 21. 



Pennsylvania, in fungi, Dr. Melsheimer and Mr. Ziegler. The thorax is nar- 

 rowed in front, emarginate at the apex, with the anterior angles not rounded; 

 the sides are broadly rounded, finely and strongly margined; the base is broadly 

 rounded, with a broad, short and truncate lobe in front of the scutel ; the latter 

 is large, triangular and sparsely punctured. The striae of the elytra are entire, 

 and the 9th is slightly sinuous ; the apex is truncate and has a few confused 

 punctures at the termination of the striee ; the punctures of the pygidium are 

 moderately large and shallow^ The under surface is punctured ; the epipleurae 

 are concave and punctured. The base of the antennae is feebly rufo-piceous. 



\_Note. The manuscript of the '' Synopsis of Scaphidilia '' by Dr. 

 Le Conte, having been mislaid, its publication must be deferred.] 



The Committee on the following paper by Dr. Le Conte, reported 

 in favor of publication in the Proceedings. 



i?2/nopsis of the species of the Histeroid genus Abr^eus (Leach,) inhabiting Hie 

 United States, with descriptions of tico nearly allied new genera* 



By John L. Le Conte, M. D. 



The number of species of Abraeus found within our territory, renders the 

 genus quite worthy of a special notice ; as they are all very small and uniform 

 in appearance, they present at first a moderate degree of difficulty in determin- 

 ing their characters. This difficulty, however, vanishes under a closer inspec- 

 tion, which show's the species to be as well defined as in other genera of the same 

 family. For the more complete illustration of the genus, I have added descrip- 

 tions of two species from Cuba ; these being foreign to our present limits, are 

 not numbered in the following list. 



Two species, which I considered as belonging to this genus, on close examin- 

 ation present characters altogether different. 1 have accordingly constructed a 

 new aenus for them, which must be placed in a different division of the family, 

 near Dendrophilus. To avoid confusion, however, as the species will undoubt- 

 edly be mistaken by others for Abraeus, I have thought it better to append the 

 generic and specific description to the present essay. 



Erichson has divided the six species known to him, into two groups. The 

 first contains globular species, with very short estriate prosternum, with no 

 lateral stria on the elytra, and with the pygidium inflexed, so as to form part of 

 the ventral surface of the abdomen. Of this group there is but one species 

 known to me in this country. 



The second group has the prosternum. bistriate, the elytra with a lateral stria 



44 



