242 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



what remarkable species, of which a single pair was taken (June 3) on 

 San Clemente. 



The marginal fringe is longer than in pacificus, but thinner than 

 usual. 



Both the above described species were found under rubbish at a 

 distance from the shore, and have probably the habits of Coniontis and 

 Coelotaxis rather than those of the other members of the genus. This 

 might indeed be safely inferred from the less developed marginal hairs 

 and lack of elytral asperities, which have an undoubted connection with 

 the habits possessed by the mainland species of burrowing in loose sand. 

 Whether we have here a change from the ancestral mode of life, due to a 

 change of environment, or whether, as seems to me more likely, the 

 burrowing habit is of recent development and the island species are the 

 surviving representatives of an earlier type, is an interesting question. 



Cleontis basalis, n. sp. — Moderately stout, integuments black, 

 polished. Beak three-fourths as long as the prothorax, not dilated at 

 tip, rather thinly clothed above and beneath with short cinereous hairs, 

 sides glabrous, above subcarinate in basal two-thirds, rather coarsely 

 punctate throughout. Prothorax as long as wide, sides very slightly 

 convergent, apex feebly constricted, basal lobe angulate, surface very 

 closely densely punctate, feebly carinate in apical half, deeply excavate 

 behind. Vestiture condensed in four narrow vittse ; the two dorsal 

 approximate in front, posteriorly divergent and incomplete ; the lateral 

 vittge dislocated at the apical constriction. Elytra barely twice as long as 

 wide, humeri rounded, tips separately rounded and scarcely acuminate ; 

 striae composed of large, closely-placed punctures ; intervals scarcely 

 wider than the punctures, especially on the disk; base strongly impressed 

 each side, leaving the base of the third and to a less degree that of the 

 sixth interval strongly tumid. The third, fourth, fifth and outer three 

 intervals are so thinly clothed as to appear glabrous ; the first is, how- 

 ever, very finely pubescent throughout, as is the seventh behind the 

 middle. The dark areas contain a few small spots of condensed hairs, 

 and there is a larger conspicuous spot at the base of the second interval. 

 Lower surface and legs as usual. The third joint of hind tarsi is small, 

 but obviously wider than the second. 



Length, 10 mm.; width, 3.5 mm. 



Hab. — San Clemente. 



The single male above described must evidently be placed neat 



