224 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS [xxxi, '20 



In the preparation of this paper I have examined speci- 

 mens of the following species, brunnipennis, Rand; blanch- 

 ardi Le Conte; californicus Horn; tristriatus Horn; zelus Fall; 

 strenuus Fall; and wheeleri Mann. I have also gone over 

 the original descriptions of the thirteen species, a bibliog- 

 raphy of which will be found in the first footnote for the 

 convenience of the future students of the genus. 



In studying the vestiture of these beetles it is evident that 

 there are three different types of hairs: first, the ciliated or 

 branched kind; second, flattened or squamose hairs with a 

 border of cilia; and third, ordinary hairs. The California 

 species may be grouped as follows on the basis of hairs found 

 on the upper surface of the body. 



Without squamose or branched hairs on thoracic disc or elytral spaces: 

 californicus, nitidus. 



With both squamose and branched hairs on thorax and elytra: tri- 

 striatus, hirsutus, ivilliamsi, morsus?, loripes, zelus. 



With majority of the hairs squamose ciliate: strenuus. 



With a few minute fringed hairs on thorax and elytra: wheeleri. 



The presence or lack of hair and its arrangement on the 

 body seems to possess significant specific value and also the 

 pygidium and flattened surfaces of the legs. As so many of 

 the descriptions are silent on these points, as well as on many 

 others of importance, I shall not attempt to construct a 

 table of species at this time. 



Hetaerius nitidus sp. nov. 



Form oblong, moderately convex above, rufo-castaneous, smooth, 

 shining. 



Head smooth, shining; vertex viewed from above not concave but 

 slightly convex, with three triangularly-placed setigerous punctures near 

 caudal end of the margined area and three seta-bearing punctures in a 

 transverse line at cephalic margin; front slightly rugose and with a ver- 

 tical row of four to six setigerous punctures on each side of the impunc- 

 tate middle space; clypeus sparsely, coarsely, and irregularly punctate 

 with six setae bordering the apical margin. 



Prothorax twice as broad as long, narrowed apically, lateral margin 

 straight from apical angle to one-third the distance from base, where it 

 becomes suddenly arcuate to basal angle; disc one-third wider than long, 

 smooth, shining and bearing three or four setigerous punctures on apical 

 portion which are not regular in position; the pentangular disc separated 



