THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 31 



not seen it inland. I have specimens of it from Missouri, New York and 

 Canada labelled in error, tricolor. 



Harpalus znilpcculus Say appears late in the season, and then the 

 thorax is rufous, but becomes black in some individuals after hibernating. 

 This tendency to melanism has not been observed in H. dichrous, which 

 occurs with it, and has likewise a rufous thorax. Stenolophtis conjwictus 

 appears in summer and autumn, and then its thorax is rufous ; in the fall 

 it becomes gregarious, and winters under rails and stones in grassy 

 places, after which the thorax is entirely black. 



Tachycellus Kirbyi Horn is not met with every day, as it lives in 

 grassy places in boggy swamps in their natural state, mostly inaccessible 

 except in the dry part of the season. It is usually found about the roots 

 of tufts of grass. A good way to take swamp beetles is to spread an 

 armful of cut grass over some wet, bare place in the swamp, and on turn- 

 ing it over every three or four days some otherwise rare insects may be 

 taken, as Pterostichus patruelis, which here inhabits swamps. Along 

 with it is found plentifully a common species of Stenolophus, yet unde- 

 scribed, that goes in with ochropezus or plebeius, as the collector fancies. 



Pocadius helvolus Er. Whoever desires this beetle may take it 

 during August in a growing Licoperdon, which when ripe is commonly 

 known as puff-ball. A dozen or more are often taken in a single one, 

 and are of all colors from ferruginous to nearly black ; but young puff- 

 balls are not always plentyful, and when found not more than one in twenty 

 contains beetles, which need not be greatly regretted by the collector if 

 he is anything of an epicure. 



Pityophagus verticalis Horn was described from a single specimen 

 from Colorado, the absence in which of the small spinules on the external 

 edge of the tibise seen in the other species was attributed to probable 

 abrasion. From Mr, T. D. A. Cockerell I have received from Custer 

 County, in the same State, an apparently perfect specimen in which there 

 is no trace of these spinules. This character, when more specimens of 

 this and rufipcnnis occur, may, apart from color, have chiefly to be depended 

 on to separate the species, as from the specimens before me it is doubtful 

 whether the cephalic characters will do it in all cases. In this specimen 

 of verticalis the vertical fovea is rather an elongate impression with a fine 

 line extending on the occiput. In three specimens of rufipomis from 

 California the fine occipital line is absent in two and only discernible 



