50 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
ON THE SPECIES OF SPHENOPHORUS RELATED TO PER- 
TINAX OL., WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER FORMS. 
By F. H. CHITTENDEN, Sc. D. 
The series of descriptions of new species of Sphenophorus pre- 
sented in this paper were, for the most part, prepared in the 
spring of 1903. Before the main work on this genus, which it is 
contemplated will be in the form of an illustrated revision, could 
be completed, press of other more imperative duties caused its 
almost complete abandonment. As a consequence the writer 
has not found time to bring together all of the matter desired 
to be presented on this topic. The present paper is in continua- 
tion of two others published in Volume IV of the Proceedings, 
pp. 128-137, which treated of species hitherto considered as 
simplex LeConte and placidus Say, respectively. Its presenta- 
tion for publication at this time is made necessary because of 
the desirability of returning material which has kindly been 
loaned by various institutions and private collectors for study, 
and because it cannot now be foretold when opportunity will 
offer for the completion of the monographic work originally 
planned. This preliminary article will be followed by one or 
more additional contributions as rapidly as opportunity offers. 
As with the several species that have been generally placed 
in collections as placidus Say, we find that pertinax Ol. readily 
separates into several undescribed forms in addition to those 
which were named by Dr. Horn in his paper on the Curcu- 
lionidae of the United States published in 1873 (Proc. Amer. 
Philos. Soc., vol. xin, 1873, pp. 417-421.) The species of this 
group may be characterized as follows : 
PERTINAX group. 
Rostrum arcuate, from three-fourths to the same length as the thorax, 
considerably dilated at base, channeled, interocular puncture at base ter- 
minating in a finely impressed line beyond the scrobes. 
Thorax usually distinctly trivittate, occasionally subobsoletely so (abrasus 
and maidis) ; vittae entire, subequal in length and width, median not forked 
anteriorly, extending nearly or quite from apex to base ; lateral vitta with 
an outer branch extending from near the middle nearly to the base. 
Elytral intervals unequal in width, and varying in convexity. 
Third joint of anterior tarsi about twice (i. e., more or less) as wide as the 
first joint; of the middle pair perceptibly narrower than the anterior; of 
the posterior pair one-sixth to one-half wider than the first with occasion- 
ally slight individual variation in the same species. For convenience of 
reference this may be expressed in the following formula: ant. 2-j-J mid. 
2-2; post. $-. 
