October, 1844.] 101 



striate, the striae dusky or black ; lateral margins obsolctely testaceous : beneath 

 black : feet yellowish. 



Puiluydrus, Solier. 



1. P. Umbalis. Blackish ; lateral margins of the head, thorax and elytra, 

 pale testaceous.— 3£ 1. long, 2 1. wide. Pennsylvania. 



Black, sometimes dull reddish-brown, very minutely and densely punctured, 

 and finely wrinkled, glossy : head, each side before the eyes, with a large pale 

 testaceous spot : antennas and palpi rufo-piceous : thorax with the lateral mar- 

 gins and exterior half of anterior and posterior edges, pale testaceous : scutel 

 punctured like the elytra, the latter with the lateral margins broadly pale testa- 

 ceous ; obsolete distant rows of remote punctures : beneath and feet blackish or 

 dark reddish-brown. Differs from H. ductus, Say, to which it is closely 

 allied. 



2. V.fimbriatus. Blackish ; lateral margins of the thorax and elytra piceous. — 

 2 — 2$ 1. long, 1£ — If 1. wide. Pennsylvania. 



Hydrophilus fimbriafus, Melsh. Catal. 



. lateralis, " " 



Short, ovate, convex, blackish, shining, densely and very finely and regularly 

 punctured : head deep black : antenna and palpi rufo-piceous : thorax piceous 

 or dull testaceous on the lateral margins and anterior edge : elytra with obsolete 

 rows of distant punctures ; lateral margins piceous or testaceous; sutural stria 

 distinct from the middle to the apex: beneath blackish: feet blackish-piceous, 

 with the tibioe and tarsi lighter. A very abundant species. 



3. P. ochraceus. Ochraceous; thorax at margins paler; head piceous. — 

 1£ 1. long, £ 1. wide. Pennsylvania. 



Oval, moderately convex, ochraceous, glossy, minutely and densely punc- 

 tured : head dull rufo-piceous, with a testaceous spot before each eye, which 

 last are black: labrum, palpi, feet and body beneath, pale testaceous: throat 

 blackish-piceous : thorax with all the margins paler than the disk: scutel com- 

 paratively large, acute-triangular : elytra with the lateral margins confusedly 

 paler than the disk; sutural stria distinct; posterior tarsi hardly ciliate. 



Sphseridiidse, MacL. 

 Cercton, Leach. 



1. Cmaculatum. Blackish, with the lateral margins of the thorax, apical 

 third of the elytra rufo-testaceous ; elytra punctate-striate. — li 1. long, J 1. wide. 

 Pennsylvania. 



Oblong-ovate, shining : head pitchy-black, densely and very minutely punc- 

 tured ; labrum finely and shortly fringed : antennas and palpi piceous : thorax 

 densely and finely punctured, blackish, somewhat piceous, the lateral margins 

 rufo-piceous: scutel minute, blackish : elytra black, with the apical third con- 

 fusedly testaceous ; an obsolete roundish spot on the middle of the lateral mar- 

 gin, and a short linear one at the middle of the base, dull rufo-testaceous ; late- 

 ral edges similarly colored ; distinctly punctate-striate, the interstices distinctly 

 punctured on the disk : body beneath blackish : feet chestnut. 



Allied to occalatum, Say, but it is more strongly punctured and differently 



