Vol. XXVlii] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 51 



Habitat. Humboldt County (shore of Humboldt Bay near 

 Arcata), California. Collectors, Blaisdell and Reynolds. Num- 

 ber of specimens studied 150. 



Types in the collection of F. E. Blaisdell. Co-types in both 

 the authors' collections. 



It requires considerable courage to describe a new Omus, 

 when so many are being described and founded on what are 

 ostensibly intraspecific variations of known species. 



The unique habitat of cupreonitens makes it of especial in- 

 terest. It appears that general habitus when studied in a large 

 series is a more reliable criterion than details, which vary in 

 degree to such an extent in intraspecific forms as to be truly 

 misleading. 



Diagnostic Characters. Cupreonitens has a form more like 

 calif ornicus than any other, while the elytral sculpturing is 

 that of audouinl; the pronotal rugulosity is not like that ob- 

 served in calif ornicus, but less dense and coarser. In colora- 

 tion it is said to resemble vandykei. 



The type of vandykci was found by Dr. Walter Horn in the 

 Rivers collection. Prof. Rivers had labeled it submetaUicus, 

 and it is the only known specimen, having been collected in 

 middle Oregon. Mr. F. W. Nunenmacher has collected other 

 specimens in Humboldt County, that have been referred to 

 this species, but we believe doubtfully. There is before us a 

 specimen collected at Dyerville, central Humboldt County, and 

 in the Fuchs collection ; it was obtained from Essig, who re- 

 ceived it from Dr. Horn, if it is correctly labeled. It is not 

 the same as cupreonitens. Calif ornicus and cupreonitens are 

 coastal species, and in all probability have the same ancestry. 

 Vandykei from central Oregon is related to audonini, orc- 

 gonensls and humeroplanatus, the latter being abundant in 

 Humboldt County (Green Point Ranch). 



We do not propose to study species of Oinus from uniques 

 or from series of ten or twenty, but from series of fifty and up- 

 ward. Each series must be collected in a single geographical 

 area. 



