2 FREDERICK BLANCHARD. 



living tliese peculiarities of form it will be observed that the margin 

 of the front of the head is divided near the eyes. None of these 

 species, except cardisce, are known from east of the Mississipj)!. In 

 a cursory examination of Candeze, " Elaterides" v. iii, various allu- 

 sions, in different descriptions, to the prothorax having the hind an- 

 gles short or ti'uncate, and the submarginal suture cariniform, indi- 

 cate that the characters above mentioned are not peculiar to our 

 species. The European species C mmadus, of which specimens are 

 before me, is a case in point. Here the hind angles are short, but 

 not truncate above, the submarginal suture is strongly cariniform, 

 visible at base from above and confluent with the carina of the hind 

 angle; the hind margin of the flanks is entire, and the frontal mar- 

 gin divided near the eyes. The European exarafus, which is also 

 before me, to which our cardisce is com}mred by Candeze, belongs to 

 the next division, the ap{)arent resemblance not being of real im- 

 portance. 



In the second division the hind angles of the prothorax are pro- 

 duced behind and carinate with one exception. The submarginal 

 sutures are usually present, impressed and broadly sinuate, rarely, 

 somewhat cariniform anteriorly. In one species they are quite ab- 

 sent. The hind margin of the flanks next to the angles is strongly 

 rectangularly indentate making the base broadly lobed inside the 

 emarginalion. The frontal margin of the head is entire. A few 

 Euroj)ean species, both with simple and wath toothed claws, have 

 been examined and found to be of the present form. 



Our species are all normally clothed witli more or less abundant 

 pi'ostrate j^ubescence, arising from fine punctures, also with suberect 

 bristles arising from sparser, coarser ])unctures. 1 he punctuation 

 in the same species is frequently quite variable in fineness and density, 

 and the coarser punctuation of the pronotum is not distinguishable 

 in some specimens, while in others it may be well marked. In other 

 species the double punctuation while constant is variable in distinct- 

 ness. The double punctuation is always more evident on the metas- 

 ternum, hind coxal plates and abdomen, but it may be })resent or 

 not on the prothorax, above and beneath. The antenntse vary 

 sometimes very c(msiderably, according to the sex, being longer, and 

 usually with the joints 3-10 broader in the middle in the % than in 

 the 9 , in which sex they are gradually wider from base to tip. 

 They also vary from being slender and feebly serrate to stouter and 

 strongly serrate. The last joint of the maxillary palpi usually tri- 



