Mt Cauat(int( mutomoloriiiit. 



VOL XXIV. LONDON, DECEMBER, 1892. No. 12. 



NOTES ON COLEOPTERA— No. XL 



BY JOHN HAMILTON, M. D., ALLEGHENY, PA. 



Baptollnus pilicornis, Payk. 



Till lately this species has been known in our literature as B. inacro- 

 cephalus, Nord. It has a very wide distribution across the northern part 

 of the continent, from Alaska to New Hampshire, and through the 

 Alleghanies as far south as southern Pennsylvania, and probably much 

 further. In Europe it ascends to 68°, and is spread over all Siberia to 

 the Amur. It does not seem to be abundant anywhere. It is very variable 

 in colour, and to some extent in the fineness or coarseness of the general 

 punctuation. I took two examples here recently under the bark of a moss- 

 covered decaying oak, and several a few days afterward on the mountains, 

 in the same situation. All these are black and shining, with the mouth 

 parts, antennse and legs pale, corresponding to the description of PaykuU's 

 type. Four examples from Vermont have the mouth parts and the 

 antennae rufous, and the elytra, rufous, grading imperceptibly to rufo-piceous 

 at the apex and sides. One example from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, 

 seemingly mature, is altogether pallid, except that the last abdominal 

 segment and the outer hind angles of the elytra are fuscous, the general 

 punctuation exceedingly fine, and the length only .15 inch (normal .20- 

 .25 inch). B. fnacrocephalus, Nord., which occurs at Sitkha, is still different 

 as described by Mannerheim, who says it has three punctures on each 

 side of the thorax, whereas those above mentioned have but two. In 

 Europe there are two other species listed, though by what characters they 

 are separated I am not aware, but they are certainly very close to pilicor- 

 nis. One of these, according to Mr. A. Fauvel (Rev. Entomolog. V. 

 117), B. lofigipennis, Fauv., occurs in Canada and New York, and inas- 

 much as he does not mention B. pilicornis as American, it is not improb- 

 able both species are confounded here, and perhaps affinis, Payk., which 

 is as widely distributed in Europe and Asia as pilicornis. The thorax in 

 pilicornis is exceedingly smooth and polished, with two minute setiferous 

 punctures on each side — one near the anterior angle, and the other near 



