70 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Feb., '17 



finely pubescent, the punctures coarser at the middle of the prosternum, 

 somewhat denser at the sides of the body, the posterior margins of 

 ventral segments 2 to 5 smooth at middle ; last segment subtruncate at 

 apex. Length 6.75 mm.; width 2 mm. 



Described from a unique example of unknown sex taken by 

 Mr. J. O. Martin at Palm Springs, California. Type in my col- 

 lection. 



The generic affinities of this rather remarkable species are 

 not readily determinable by means of the table of tribal divi- 

 sions as given in the LeConte and Horn Classification. The 

 form is as slender as in many Agrili and the front may fairly 

 be said to be contracted by the antennal cavities, yet the gen- 

 eral facies and most essential characters absolutely forbid this 

 reference. After a somewhat careful comparative study I am 

 pretty well convinced that its place is between the group Chal- 

 cophorae and Buprestes as now limited, and its nearest ally is 

 perhaps the recently described Nanularia* of Casey, with which 

 it seems to agree closely in antennal formation, and substan- 

 tially in several other respects. The mesosternum and meta- 

 sternum do not appear to be anchylosed between the coxae, 

 neither is there apparent so distinct a cleft as in Nanularia. 

 The palpi are unlike those of any of the genera of the Chalco- 

 phorae or Buprestes and resemble more nearly the form in 

 Acmaeodera. The punctuation is suggestive of Hippomelas, 

 though not quite the same. The perfectly parallel-sided thorax 

 with the merest vestige of a lateral margin at the extreme base 

 is quite unique among our Buprestidae. 



Return of Animal Life to the Katmai District, Alaska. 



In the course of studies of the revegetation of the district devastated 

 by the eruption of Katmai, under the auspices of the National Geo- 

 graphic Society, some observations have been made on the return of 

 animal life. The striking thing is that predaceous animals are returning 

 before the return of herbivorous types. This is true of both mammals 

 and insects. The area near the volcano was practically devoid of 

 insect life three years after the eruption (1915), but was fairly swarm- 

 ing with insects the year following. Most of these were predaceous, 

 parasitic or coprophilous. The origin of these insects, their breeding 

 places, and the reason for their sudden appearance are mysteries. They 

 were ravenously hungry and many were dying from starvation. 

 ROBERT F. GRIGGS, Ohio State University (in Program of the Ecological 

 Society of America, Dec. 27-29, 1916). 



*Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci. XI, p. 172, 1909. 



