128 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



and presented the National Museum with a good series. The 

 study of a very large series shows that although a few individ 

 uals of simplex, chiefly from Utah, approach in some few charac 

 ters a tendency to merge into mormon from the same State, 

 nevertheless they can be separated by characters which will be 

 furnished in 'the accompanying table. The latter species is not 

 known and may not occur in California, and it is much less vari 

 able than is the true simplex. The third species, which I have 

 named distichlidis, is apparently known only from the vicinity of 

 Amedee. California. Some of the characters, and particularly 

 those of the sexes furnished in the description of mormon, have 

 not previously been noted in this group to my knowledge. The 

 following synopsis is furnished : 



Rostrum without carinae, or, if present, feebly indicated and short. 

 Scutellum variable, feebly broadly concave. 



Elytra subopaque, thorax normally shining ; discal stria; nar 

 row and shallow and less distinctly punctate; sutural striae 

 quite or nearly straight ; intervals alternately very minutely 

 uni- and bi-seriately punctulate. Anterior tibiae seldom ser 

 rate inside. Pvgidium normally with distinct lateral apical 

 tufts of hairs, of 9 distinctly bilaterally concave. 



simplex LeConte 



Rostrum strongly carinate at middle and at sides, carinae long. 

 Scutellum somewhat variable, channeled at middle. 



Elytra and thorax normally shining; dibcal striae very wide, 

 deep and distinctly punctate; sutural strite outwardly curved 

 at base; intervals distinctly punctulate with two or three 

 rows. Anterior tibiae and sometimes all distinctly serrate in 

 side. Pygidium without tufts of hair; of 9 not bilaterally 

 concave or feebly so. 



First and second abdominal segments 9 distinctly separate. 



mormon, n. sp. 



Elytra and thorax subopaque; discal striae moderately wide, 

 deep and punctate ; sutural curved ; intervals 1,2,3 and 5 bi- 

 or tri-seriately punctulate. Anterior tibiae seldom serrate in 

 side. 



First and second abdominal segments 9 connate or subcon- 

 nate disttckltdis, n. sp. 



Sphenophorus mormon, n. sp. 



Of very similar form and appearance to simplex, but much larger. Sur 

 face without coating of any kind. General color polished jet black, or 

 with the elytra piceous and the entire dorsal surface more or less polished. 

 Legs black or dark piceous. 



Rostrum three-fifths as long as the thorax, moderately arcuate, mode 

 rately nearly uniformly compressed, more narrowly at the apex, strongly 



