316 GEO. H. HORN, M. D. 



remainder of the description affords nothing more definite. In fact, 

 it is said to be merely a little broader and more massive, and with ra- 

 ther less convex elytra. In a small series or from a series collected in 

 two remote portions of our country, individuals will be found capable 

 of definition as veritable minrophrKjns. In large series, however, these 

 vanish and varieties of all shades of color and almost every degree of 

 convexity appear. I cannot but consider this species a variety of 

 spIcndiAus, inseparable by any well defined characters. 



Sfarkii, which Jekel places between the two above mentioned, will 

 be considered hereafter. It does not belong to the group, in my opin- 

 ion, and reasons will be given when the Anoplotrupes are considered. 



The races may be defined as follows : — 



a. splendidus, lirilliant metallic green, very shining. Elytra deeply striate, 

 with well defined, crenate punctures : interstices very convex. 



/i. miarophagus, violet, purple or aeneous, not metallic. Elytra striate, punc- 

 tures scarcely crcnate; interstices moderately convex. 



y. mixtus (Harris in coll. Leconte), purple, bronze, almost black, less shin- 

 ing than either the above forms, rather larger and more ro- 

 bust. Elytra faintly striate, punctures small, not crenate ; 

 interstices ilat, scarcely elevated. 



In the large series at ray disposal, specimens can be arranged in a 

 circle without the possibility of defining distinct species, though the 

 differences between a typical sji/cndu/us and a nearly smooth mi.rtKs 

 are very great. 



The second group of this subgenus is represented in the Monograpii 

 of Jekel by two species in our territories, sfnii'jjtucns and Mchlichnrri. 

 iSemiojjacus Jekel has been distributed through the cabinets of this 

 country under the name Blac/iliuniii, and has been known 'as such in 

 all our collections of reference. To Jekel is due the credit of recog- 

 nizing the true species of Fabricius, and placing our most common 

 species under a separate name. It may be readily known by the ab- 

 sence to a greater or less degree of the marginal line at the base of the 

 thorax, the smooth, unarmed head, with striate elytra, stri;t! not punc- 

 tate, interstices flat, smooth. Specimens occasionally occur in which 

 the marginal line at base of thorax is complete, though never so woll 

 marked as in the most poorly-marked species of the preceding group. 

 Mchktimeri differs too slightly fi'om seiniopacns to be considered dis- 

 tinct. Specimens agreeing in all particulars with his description are 

 before me, and as his specimen was a female (by far the most variable 

 sex in all the species), I have less hesitancy in uniting them. 



