198 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Nearly all the North American genera have been treated from time to 

 time by Dr. Horn, and his papers may be found in the Transactions of 

 the American Entomological Society for the past twenty years. Some of 

 these essays are not now easily obtainable, and while the Doctor has, with 

 his accustomed care, elaborated the characters useful in synoptic work in 

 such a way as to leave apparently little new to be discovered, it is hoped 

 that to many of the readers of the Canadian Entomologist the present 

 paper, by bringing together in one easily accessible place the scattered 

 material necessary for a study of the species of Old Canada, may not be 

 useless nor unwelcome. The tables are based on the studies of Dr. 

 Horn, and in one or two cases I have used his own entire in small genera, 

 in which case due credit will be found to be given. In other instances I 

 have been able, having a less number of species to handle, to use more 

 evident characters, such as colour and size in the separation of species. 

 It must be understood that these tables apply to the forms of East 

 Canada only, and must not be used for the beetles of the West Coast nor 

 of the United States generally, though many forms from the New England 

 and other Eastern States can be identified with proper care. 



It has been thought best, in order to avoid a long, complicated 

 generic table, to treat the family in three divisions, as proposed by Dr. 

 Leconte in the Classification. They may be distinguished structurally as 

 follows ; the notes succeeding will make the primary separation more easy 

 to beginners : — 



" I. Abdominal spiracles situated in the membra?ie connecting the 

 dorsal and ventral corneous plates, the last one covered by the 



elytra Laparosticti. 



II. Abdominal spiracles in part situated on the superior portions of the 

 ventral segments, the last one usually visible behind the elytra ; the 



rows of spiracles feebly diverging Alelolonthince.. 



III. Abdominal spiracles (except the anterior ones) situated in the dorsal 

 portion of the ventral segments, forming rows which diverge strongly. 



Last spiracle usually visible behind the elytra... Pleiirosticti" 



Aside from the characters given above, the Laparosticti or Coprophaga 

 may be ordinarily known by the possession of the following characters : 

 Form compact, though sometimes moderately elongate; legs usually highly 

 fossorial, claws simple, suture separating clypeus from front of head not 

 transverse, but extending up towards the vertex. The males are often 

 armed with horns or tubercles on the head and tliorax. In the absence 



