AMERICAN COI>EOPTERA. 293 



C<EI¥01VY€HA. 



C parvula sp. nov. 



Form oblong-oval, brown, moderately shining, pubescence ratlier plentiful. 

 Head coarsely, closely punctate, the punctuation very shallow on the clypeus, 

 but gradually deeper posteriorly. Clypeus broadly emarginate, the angles promi- 

 nent and nearly right; clypeal suture distinct but not impressed. Thorax a 

 little less than twice as wide as long, formed as usual in the genus, uniformly 

 closely, and rather strongly punctate. Elytra oblong-oval, widest behind the 

 middle; humeri distinct but not prominent, apex subtruucate; surface nearly as 

 closely punctate as the thorax. Body beneath sparsely pubescent, the abdomen 

 more closely and strongly punctured than usual. Length 6-7 mm. 



Described from two examples of doubtful sex, collected by Dr. 

 F. E. Blaisdell at Poway, near San Diego, California. 



This species is nearest ovipennis in size, but is slightly smaller 

 than that, and therefore decidedly smaller than either rotundata or 

 socialis. It differs from all these by the closer relatively coarser 

 punctuation both above and beneath. The general outline, and the 

 form of the clypeus is nearly as in socialis. The antennae are 10- 

 jointed, but the 6th and 7th joints are less distinctly separated than 

 the others. The wings are probalily rudimentary. 



<'ANTHARIS. 



There are few genera of like extent in which the species are, as a 

 rule, identifiable with greater ease and certainty than in Cantharis. 

 There are, it is true, a considerable number of entirely black spe- 

 cies, which, at long range, seem strikingly similar ; but the small 

 differences in outline or proportions of parts are very constant, and 

 these supplemented by the pronounced sexual characters observable 

 in the antennae, coxae or abdomen make their separation and recog- 

 nition simple enough. But here, as elsewhere, the rule is not with 

 out its exceptions, the difficulties in this case being centered in sty 

 gica and sphcericollls. The series of stygica in the Horn and Le 

 Conte collections which, at the time of their arrangement by Horn 

 exhibited only a laudable conservatism, have gradually reached a 

 complexity which, through their influence as standards of reference, 

 has become general. 



Not long since I received from my friend, Mr. Ralph Hopping, 

 of Kaweah, Cal., two forms of Cantharis, concerning which he de- 

 sired an expression of opinion. Both had been identified for him 

 as stygica, but from their appearance and habits, he was convinced 

 of their distinctness. A little investigation satisfied me that the 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXVII. AUG., 1901. 



