OF WASHING TON. 53 
FIG. 10. Outline views of the rostrum in Sphenophorus: a, pertinax; 
b, ludcrvicianus ; c, costipennis; d, maidis; e, "villosiven- 
tris all greatly enlarged (original). 
thorax, will facilitate its separation from species J with which it 
is confused, costipennis among others. 
The distribution extends from New York City to Utah, but 
southward the typical form does not appear to have been 
collected beyond the District of Columbia. It is a very com- 
mon species and occasionally injurious to corn. 
With erstwhile varieties eliminated as species, pertinax still 
exhibits considerable variation. The merely colorational va- 
rieties are scarcely worth indicating. Some specimens have 
the general color dull rufous, with the vittae and alternate 
intervals less distinctly elevated. 
Var. australis, new variety. 
Larger than typical pertinax, with slightly longer rostrum. Surface coat- 
ing more dense, ochraceous, gray-brown or cinereous. Median thoracic 
vitta narrower at base than at apex, in which respect it differs from typha 
which it greatly resembles. Third elytral intervals obsolete or interrupted . 
in apical half or more, fifth still shorter and more interrupted. Mesepi- 
sternum normally completely covered with coating, but becoming abraded 
with age. 
New Orleans, La., October 26 (Soltau) ; "Louisiana," July 
10, 1873 (C. V. Riley) ; Arizona (i$ so labeled, possibly by 
error) . 
Type No. 8220, U. S. National Museum. 
Cinereous-coated individuals are from Texas (Roberts) and 
western Kansas (Popenoe). 
The writer is disposed to consider this form as a geographi- 
cal race. 
Var. typhae, new variety. 
Of similar appearance to variety australis; moderately shining black, 
with sparser dull ochraceous coating. Thoracic vittae less elevated, wide ; 
median at base as wide or wider than at apex ; suddenly and widely dilated 
just in front of middle, sometimes contiguous to the lateral. Elytral 
intervals with the third and fifth at least three-fourths shining black, all 
unelevated intervals with small elevated areas, mostly at the sides, co- 
