1853.] 345 



elytra are more dislinct and not very dense. The anterior tarsi of the male are 

 dilated as in the preceding. 



Nemognatha III. 



Our species are much more numerous than commonly supposed, and from the 

 strong resemblance in appearance one might be tempted at first to consider 

 many as mere variations in color. As will be seen in the sequel, however, the 

 differences are organic, and the species may be grouped in a manner very simi- 

 lar to that employed under Lytta. Division (B) seems to correspond with 

 Kirby's genus Gnathium, but I can find no character sufficiently important to 

 entitle it to rank with the other genera of the family. 



A. Maxillae valde elongatae. 



a. Tibiae posticae calcaribus duobus latis obtusis . . Sp. 1. 



b. Tibiae posticae calcari altero crasso obtuso, altero tenui . Sp. 2 5. 



c. Tibiae posticae calcaribus duobus tenuibus : 



* Calcari externo latiore apice rotundato . . . Sp. 6 10. 



** Calcaribus duobus acutis - . . ... Sp. 11 15. 



B. Maxillae corpore multo breviores ; ore valde attenuato. 



d. Elytra nitida, parce punctata Sp. 16 17. 



e. Elytra scabro-punctata Sp. 18 21. 



A. a. 



1. N. bicolor, nigra, breviter nigro-villosa, capite thoraceque rufis confer- 

 tim punctatis, hoc transverse, elytris subtiliter conterlim punctalis. Long. '45. 



Missouri Territory. Head triangular, rufous, densely and strongly punctured, 

 villous with short black hair ; clypeus, labrum and organs of the mouth black. 

 Antennae black, 2d joint two-thirds as long as the 3d. Thorax rufous, wider 

 than the head, one half wider than long, slightly narrowed in front, sides 

 straight, angles rounded, disc villous and densely punctured like the head. Scu- 

 tellum black. Elytra black, more densely and finely punctured than the head 

 and thorax, and in like manner villous with black hair. Beneath black; spurs 

 of the posterior tibiae flat and obtuse, the outer one a little broader. 



A. b. 



2. N. lurida, luteo-testacea, parce flavo villosa, thorace transverse, confer- 

 tim punctato, subcanaliculato, lateribus antice rotundatis, elytris subtilius con- 

 fertim punctatis, antennis palpis tibiis tarsisque nigris. Long. '55. 



Missouri Territory, on Platte River. Brownish yellow, sparsely clothed with 

 fine yellow hair. Head triangular, closely punctured, maxillae, palpi and tip of 

 the mandibles black; antennae black, 2d joint half as long as the 3d. Thorax 

 one half wider than long, slightly narrowed anteriorly, and rounded on the sides; 

 closely punctured, obsoletely channeled behind the middle. Scutellum finely 

 punctured, impressed. Elytra finely and tolerably densely punctured. Beneath 

 yellow, femora slightly fuscous at tip; tibiae and tarsi almost black; posterior 

 tibiae with the outer spur thick, cylindrical and concavely truncate at tip; inner 

 one very small, flat, rounded at tip. 



A specimen from Texas agrees in form with those from Missouri Territory, 

 but the body is darker beneath, and the hairs of the upper surface are appa- 

 rently black ; it very evidently does not belong to the next species, from which 

 it differs both by the form of the thorax and the yellow femora; the specimen is 

 so imperfect that I cannot point out any other differences. 



3. N. a pic alis, luteo-testacea, nigro-villosa, thorace punctato, transverso, 

 lateribus antice rotundatis, elytris subtilius confertim punctatis, apice nigri- 

 cantibus, scutello, antennis, palpis, pectore abdominis basi, pedibusque nigris. 

 Long. '4 5. 



Two specimens from Benicia, California, and one from Texas, collected by 

 Mr. Lindheimer. Differs from N. lurida by the black villosity, as well as by 

 the arrangement of colors ; the thorax is scarcely wider than long, and is more 



