NORTH AMERICAN COLEOFTERA. 113 



ieF>VIKIO\ OF THF GKi^ERA AlVD SPECIES OF 

 DES:tIORI OF ]\OKTII AflEKICA. 



BY WILLIAM (4. DIETZ, M.D. 



As an explanation for the publication of a paper on the above- 

 named subtribe of Curculionidre, so shortly after the same subject 

 has been treated of by Capt. I'hos. L. Casey, in his " Coleojitero- 

 logical Notices IV," the following remarks are offered. Unaware 

 of that author's work in the same field, I had made considerable 

 progress in my investigations when, by mere accident, T learned that 

 the above-mentioned paper was already in the printer's hands, and 

 would appear shortly. As soon as published, the author very kindly 

 sent me a copy. A careful perusal of the article on Smicronyx, in 

 which genus the author has included, with the excefjtion of three, 

 all the species properly belonging to the subtribe under considera- 

 tion, proved that the results of our investigations were greatly at 

 variance. Of the two species, discoideus and amoenns, erroneously 

 placed by LeConte in Pachytychius, which is not represented within 

 our faunal limits, Casey says: "they are entirely identical in all 

 structural characters, which can in any way be considered of generic 

 worth, with the form described by that author as Smicronyx corpu- 

 leutus and the other species placed in Smicronyx." As shown further 

 on in the body of this paper, corpulentus assuredly should have been 

 placed next to discoideus, by LeConte, nor does it invalidate the 

 claim made in this paper that, while they should not and could not 

 properly be retained in Pachytychius, they should form the tvpe of 

 a new genus. Elsewhere in the above cited publication* the author, 

 in speaking of Telesicles Champ., makes the following remark : 

 " That generic differences often depend more upon general facie.s or 

 appearance, than upon any decided modification of special organs." 

 This alone, if for no other reason, would be sufficient to separate the 

 above-named species as distinct from Smicronyx. Desmoris, although 

 founded by LeConte on characters of indifferent value as far as they 

 have reference to a distinction from Smicronyx, is nevertheless valid, 

 as may be seen by referring to the synoptical table of genera. Added 



» Col. Not. iv, p. 123. 



TKANS. AM. KNT. SOC. XXI. (15) APRIL. Iby4. 



