216 GEO. H. HORN, M. D. 



P. microphthalmus n. sp. — Piceous, brownish, or nearly black; legs tes- 

 taceous, with the tibise and tarsi piceous; antennae shorter than the head and 

 thorax, rather stout, joints 5-10 not longer than wide, the outer ones quite trans- 

 verse; head oval; sides nearly parallel, sparsely punctulate behind the eyes; 

 thorax longer than wide, scarcely wider than the head ; sides nearly parallel 

 dorsal punctures five, small, equidistant ; elytra a little wider than the thorax and 

 as long, slightly broader behind, as broad conjointly as long, not densely but mod- 

 erately coarsely punctate, sparsely pubescent; abdomen more finely and sparsely 

 punctulate than the elytra ; beneath more closely punctured than above. Length 

 .14 — .18 inch; 3.5 — 4.5 mm. 



Male. — Anterior tarsi filiform ; last ventral with a broadly oval, almost semi- 

 circular emargination bordered within with a pellucid margin. 



Female.— 1a.Ya\ filiform; last ventral entire. 



This species is very variable, and it is consequently difficult to fix with 

 certainty its limits. It is, of course, absolutely necessary to have the 

 male, when the sexual characters will distinguish it from any of the pre- 

 ceding without difficulty. 



For a long time this species has been considered by us as nigritidus, to 

 which it has great resemblance ; in fact the females can hardly be sepa- 

 rated ; superficially the characters are as variable here as indicated by 

 Fauvel, for lugritulas ^ Fauna Glallo-Rlienane iii, p. 470). 



Occurs from Vancouver eastward to the New England States, and as 

 far south as Virginia. 



P. iiigritulus Grav. — Black, shining, elytra often slightly bronzed ; legs 

 piceous or testaceous ; antennae 'as long as the head and thorax, piceous, joints 7-10 

 not longer than wide; head oval; sides parallel, liind angles s])arsely punctulate; 

 thorax not wider than the head, longer than wide ; sides parallel, dorsal punctures 

 five, equidistant; elytra a little wider than the thorax and a little longer, longer 

 than wide conjointly, sparsely rather finely punctate, sparsely pubescent; abdo- 

 men sparsely and a little more finely punctured than the elytra; beneath more 

 distinctly punctured than above. Length .18 — .20 inch; 4.5 — 5 mm. 



Male. — Anterior tarsi slender; last ventral segment with an extremely slight 

 emargination and a verj' feeble, smooth, triangular impression. 



Femde. — Tarsi slender; last ventral entire. 



There need be no difficulty in distinguishing the males of this specie 

 from any except microphthalmns ; in both the characters are very feeble, 

 but in the present species the notch is so very slight that it might readily 

 escape observation. On comparing the two otherwise the antennse will 

 here be found longer and fewer of the joints as wide as long, the elytra 

 are more finely punctured, usually more depressed, and the entire color 

 blacker, the legs long, very rarely pale. 



Occurs from Vancouver to Arizona, Lake Superior and the New Eng- 

 land States. 



