82 THOS. L. CASEY. 



lonii;, or so fibnormally shaped as to have no parallel, with which I am 

 familiar, in the family of Coleoptera.* The elytra though usually cov- 

 ering the entire abdomen, in some species leave a large portion exposed. 

 The scutellum may be transverse, semi-circular, or triangular. Erichson 

 first proposed this latter peculiarity as a basis of classification, taken in 

 connection with the emargination of the epistoma, and in my search for 

 characters which .should be unmistakable, I was led to try this method. 

 After figuring the scutellum of each of our species, it became immedi- 

 ately apparent that they would not serve the purpose, because although 

 in nitens the scutellum is acutely triangular with the sides almost per- 

 fectly straight, we find other species in which it possesses all degrees of 

 transvQTsality down to those in which it is very thin and transverse, and 

 it would be very difiicult in practice to draw the line between any divi- 

 sions based on the structure of this part. 



The antennae otfer characters which are easily recognizable, and ap- 

 pear to be very constant, and which have been assumed as the basis of 

 the following table of species. 



I have in the following synopsis of the genus possibly made mistakes^ 

 and this possibility becomes stronger in those species which are European, 

 and for the identification of which I had to rely solely on the descriptions 

 of the various authors. I would, however, say in this connection that 

 the descriptions and figures given in the excellent work of Sturm, 

 " Deutschlands Fauna," are almost equivalent to a study of the insects, 

 themselves. 



The following is the classification which is adopted for our species : 



\_, — First joint of antennae of normal form ; second joint shorter than the third. 

 Labrura emarginate. 



Last three joints of antennae % flattened * 



Joints of antennae % sub-equal. 



Last joint % bent ]. teriiiinalis. 



Last joint straight 2. bigiittatus. 



Last three joints of antennae % together nearly equal to otie-thinl of their 

 entire length. 



Projecting teeth of epistoma much i-ounde<l anteriorly ?>. rasciatiis» 



Projecting teeth of epistoma very acute 4. I^eContei. 



* Labrum entire; transverse groove of head wanting 5. floridaiiUS. 



Labrum entire; antennae irregular. 

 Body depressed. 



Elytra entire. P,. cliamaeropis. 



Elytra shorter than the alxlomen 7. niodestus. 



Body convex. 



Anterior angles of prothorax toothed 8. convexnlus. 



Anterior angles rounded, never toothed 9. adustlis. 



■•* Separated as Dysmerus. 



