OF WASHINGTON. 181 



the type locality " United States " he little guessed the trouble 

 that this and other Sphenophori described at the same time 

 would cause to the Coleopterist of the future. This was in 1831. 

 When Horn, in 1873, in his Contributions to a Knowledge of 

 the Curculionidae of the United States* brought together under 

 Sphenophorus placidus no less than seven other names as 

 synonyms, this merely added to the trouble. By careful study of 

 many specimens, described and undescribed, that might possibly 

 be attributed to Say's rectus or immtinis^ I am unable to find any 

 which fits either description. The characterizations of Gyllen- 

 hal and Boheman in Schoenherr's work on the Curculionidae 

 are equally difficult of elucidation, and from all the circumstances 

 in the case I feel convinced that only two species of this group 

 can rightfully retain the older names, namely, venatus Say and 

 reticulaticollis Boheman. The latter is described from u Cali 

 fornia" which, at the time of its description, included a much 

 larger territory than at present, and this locality and the descrip 

 tion might very well be perpetuated for a species which I have 

 assigned to that name. Several species have been present for 

 years in collections under the name of placidus, in accordance 

 with Horn's definition, which is, in brief, all Sphenophori of our 

 fauna having a u slight fossa at the anterior median portion of the 

 thorax immediately behind the apical constriction." The writer 

 has been able to bring under this character seven species which 

 cannot be placed elsewhere. All appear to be quite distinct, 

 with the possible exceotion of vcstitus^ which is very different 

 from venatus when we compare specimens of the former from 

 Florida and of the latter from New England or Long Island. 

 There is a possibility of gradation in an intermediate locality, but 

 this has not been discovered. 



Still an eighth species which has been very generally included 

 under placidus has been studied, and this proves to belong to an 

 entirely different group. It may be distinguished from any 

 species of the venatus group by its naked body, much longer, 

 perfectly cylindrical rostrum with rounded apex, longer legs, 

 thorax more narrowed anteriorly, broader thoracic vittae, divided 

 apical fossa, and punctuation, which will be defined in the spe 

 cific description, as well as sexual characters. It is peculiar to 

 the Gulf region. The" following brief analysis of the venatus 

 group follows : 



VENATUS group. 



Rostrum short, strongly and uniformly compressed, moderately or 

 strongly arcuate ; apex subtruncate, produced in acute point posteriorly 

 (sometimes abraded). 



*Proc. Am. Phil. Soc., p. 426, 1873. 



