THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 103 



were grouped so as to show those injurious and those beneficial to agri- 

 culture. 



There were probably other collections of insects in the buildings, but 

 there being no official catalogue to guide the visitor, there was great diffi- 

 culty in finding them. 



REMARKS ON SOME SPECIES OF COLEOPTERA, WITH 

 SUPPLEMENTARY DESCRIPTIONS. 



BV JOHN HAMILTON, M. D., ALLEGHENY, PA. 



Many of the species of Coleoptera have been described from single, 

 or, at the most, two or three specimens ; these often imperfect, immature, 

 or with individual peculiarities. Owing to this, those who undertake to 

 determine their insects by descriptions, even allowing a wide latitude of 

 interpretation, are frequently in doubt and uncertainty. Where families 

 and genera have passed through recent monographic review, the re-des- 

 cription of the species from better preserved or more abundant material 

 usually obviates the difficulty, but enough still remain to give trouble. 



Among these, the ones here introduced seem deserving of notice, as 

 some further description is necessary for their identification without having 

 recourse to friendly aid. 



Toxotus Schaiimii Lee. The first difficulty is the feebleness of an 

 important generic character ; to be a Toxotus the eyes must be emarginate, 

 and they are so obsoletely so in the few individuals of this species that 

 have come under my observation as to make this character opinionative. 

 There are two forms of this species so unlike in color, that unless taken 

 in close relation, they would scarcely be recognized as belonging to the 

 same species. 



When Dr. LeConte described this species (Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil., 

 2d series, vol. i, p. 320), he seems to have only known one of these forms, 

 characterizing it as " black, with whitish pubescence, legs black, femora 

 yellowish, with base and tip black." This seems to apply to both sexes. 

 And if the specimen in hand is of this color and recognized as a Toxotus, 

 there is no further trouble. But should the specimen be reddish yellow, 

 with black elytra so closely clothed with whitish grey pubescence as to 

 conceal the color, antennx black, with yellow basal joint, and tarsi piceous, 



