Sep. 19, 1873.] 44-^ [Horn. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO A KNOWLEDGE OF THE CURCULIONID.E 

 OF THE UNITED STATES. 



By George H. Horn, M.D. 



(Read before the American Philosophical Society, September I'd, 1873.) 



The following pages have been prepared as a beginning of the system- 

 atic study of the species of Curculionidse inhabiting our country. It is to 

 be regretted that this family has been almost entirely neglected by our 

 students, so much so, in fact, that the large majority of the species have 

 been described abroad, and, with the exception of several genera revised 

 by Dr. Leconte, no genus has ever been studied as a whole by American 

 students. It is hoped that the present essay may show that the study of 

 this family is by no means as difficult as has been supposed. The field 

 being almost entirely new, numerous opportunities are affoided for 

 research, and without doubt characters remain to be developed having 

 an important bearing in the systematic arrangement of the family. 



One character is mentioned in the following pages that appears to have 

 escaped notice. In most if not all the genera of Mecorhynques, the malts 

 have eight and the females seven dorsal abdominal segments. The Cal- 

 ami rides and Cossonides appear not to possess this character, as also all 

 the Brachyrhynques which I have had time to examine. 



The synonymy of our Garculionid.ee is at times troublesome to unravel, 

 and many species have been described from slight varieties. On the other 

 hand, many are unnamed, and it is probable that number of species at 

 present given in catalogues is not far behind the total, as the unnamed 

 species will about fill the blanks caused by the correction of synonymy. 



All of the genera in the following pages have become familiar to 

 students in an empirical manner, consequently little is said concerning 

 the genera themselves, this work being left to the continuation of the 

 " Classification of the Coleoptera of North America," which will doubt- 

 less soon appear, from the hands of Dr. Leconte. 



The first part of the present essay contains the CalandrM.es and Cos- 

 sonides forming the entire representation of the genera and species of 

 Phalanx 11, Cohort II., Legion II., according to the system of Lacordaire, 

 which occur in our fauna. The remaining pages are devoted to such 

 isolated genera as appear to stand in need of elucidation. 



CALANDRIDES. 



The tribe Calandrides is divided by Lacordaire into six groups, of 

 which three only have representatives within our faunal limits. 



Metathoracic episterna very broad, epimera 



large RHYNCHOPHORIDE3. 



Mesothotacic epimera acute above,, ascend- 

 ing RlIYXCilOPHORUS. 



3letathoracic episterna moderate. 



