72 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [March, 



longitudinal central furrow; legs tolerably spinose, tarsal comb feebly 

 developed ; pygidial area with large, sparse punctures, not margined or 

 carinated laterally. Black ; mandibles except apex, legs except coxae 

 and extreme tip of abdomen, red ; scape beneath and tegulse yellowish ; 

 flagellum beneath testaceous ; entire insect clothed more or less with 

 silvery pubescence, especially the head in front and thorax on sides and 

 beneath ; apical margins of abdominal segments narrowly testaceous ; 

 wings hyaline, strongly iridescent, nervures testaceous. Length 3 mm. 



Las Cruces, New Mexico (Cockerell, 5173). This is the 

 smallest of the species of Plenocidus, and is not closely related 

 to any of the others. It comes nearest to P. cockerellii, in con- 

 sequence of the non-emarginate or dentate clypeus. 



The species of Plenoculus seem to fall into two well-marked 

 groups, viz., those having the clypeus strongly emarginate and 

 dentate (davisii, propinquus), and those in which the clypeus is 

 neither emarginate, nor dentate (cockerellii, parvus}. 



Plenoculus propinq^l^ls varies in the coloration of abdomen. 

 The original types have the abdomen entirely black, whereas 

 recently received specimens from New Mexico and Colorado 

 (collected by Messrs. Cockerell and Gillette respectively) have it 

 suffused with reddish on basal two or three segments. 



OBITUARY. 



Dr. F. F. MORAWITZ, in St. Petersburg. 



A. DAWSETT, Ornithologist and Entomologist, at Reading, England, 

 on Nov. 6, 1896. 



Dr. F. WESTHOFF, Dipterist and Privatdocent of the Academy of 

 Miinster, on Nov. 12, 1896, aged 36 years. 



We have just learned with much sorrow and regret of the death of the 

 well-known Coleopterist, Dr. JOHN HAMILTON, of Allegheny, Pa., who 

 died in Florida. Next month will give a portrait of Dr. HAMILTON and 

 some account of his valuable services to Entomology. 



ERRATA. 



Under the description of Pupa, line 5, vol. viii, p. 2, first word. The 

 word elytron should have beer, used instead of segment. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS for February, was mailed Jan. 30, 1897. 



