NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 7 



temal sutures and the lateral margin of the thorax. In all the 

 specimens of Melasis which I have examined I can find but one 

 tibial spur, a character which seems to have escaped mention. 

 Two species are known to me from our fauna. 



Third joint of antenupe % nearly twice as wide as long, the fourth nearly 

 three times; color piceous, or nearly black pectiiiicoriiis. 



Third joint of antennse % distinctly longer than wide, the fourth very little 

 wider than long; elytra and antenna? rufo-ferruginous rufipeiiiii!!). 



As males only of the latter sj)ecies are known to me I am unable 

 to give characters separating the females. 



m. pectinicoriiis Mels. — Form elongate, subcylindrical, piceous or black, 

 opaque, sparsely clothed with extremely short grayish pubescence ; antennse 

 barely attaining the middle of the thorax, brown or ferruginous, the first joint 

 piceous, joints four to ten strongly % , or feebly pectinate 9 ; eyes small, round, 

 feebly convex ; head coarsely, closely and roughly punctured, a slight impres- 

 sion of the vertex, more distinct in the male ; prothorax broader than long, 

 slightly narrowed posteriorly, the sides straight at middle, broadly % or feebly 

 9 arcuate at the front angle, rather deeply sinuate in front of the hind angles, 

 which are acute and divergent % , or scarcely perceptibly sinuate, the angles not 

 divergent 9 > disc convex, a distinct median impressed line deeper in the % , the 

 surface coarsely punctured, with elevated granules ; elytra slightly narrowing 

 posteriorly, their apices acute, surface with rather deep punctured striae, the 

 interv'als slightly convex, densely granulate and rugose ; body beneath densely 

 punctate ; legs piceous, tibiae and tarsi paler. Length .24 - .32 inch ; 6 - 8 mm. 



In the female the thorax is much more deeply emarginate in front 

 and the head relatively smaller, the surfiice less rugose and the granu- 

 lations of the thorax more distant. 



Occurs from Pennsylvania to Texas, but very rare. For an op- 

 portunity of examining the female I am indebted to Mr. H. Ulke. 



M. rufipennis n. sp. — Form elongate, subcylindrical, slightly narrowed 

 behind, piceous, subopaque ; pubescence fulvous, scarcely visible, elytra and 

 antennae rufo-ferruginous ; antenna?, attaining the middle of the thorax, the 

 third joint nearly twice as long as the visible (in front) jiortion of the second, 

 joint four triangular, broader than long, five to ten gradually more prolonged 

 anteriorly, but less so than in pectinlcornis : eyes small, round, feebly convex ; 

 head densely and rather coarsely punctate, not rough ; clypeus slightly concave, 

 front sometimes with a slight transverse carina ; thorax a little wider than long, 

 slightly narrower behind, sides straight, slightly arcuate at the apical angles and 

 with a feeble sinuation in front of the hind angles, which are acute and slightly 

 divei-gent ; disc moderately convex, densely punctured and roughly granulate, 

 with a narrow median smooth line very distinctly impressed posteriorly ; elytra 

 gradually narrowed posteriorly, the apices acute, disc deeply striate with coarse 

 punctures, the intervals convex, densely punctured, but more shining than 

 above ; legs piceous, tibiae and tarsi brown. Length .36 - .42 inch ; 9 - 19.5 mm. 



