170 BULLETIN 63, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Valrula (Plate 5, fig. 2). — Dorsal ])late oblong-oval. Internal 

 border slightly reflexed in apical half and inipunctate, externall}' 

 more or less reflexed ; surface slightly concave longitudinally, finely 

 and sparsely punctate, each puncture with a rather long living seta : 

 external border arcuate; ai)ical margin arcuate in the external half 

 and sinuate within to the internal lobe of apex, the latter moderate 

 and triangular; internal border more or less arcuate a])ically and 

 sinuous towai'd base. Apical margin set with a fcAv flying hairs, and 

 the apical lobe is finely setose. 



Afpendage short and broadly semi-elliptical and set Avith rather 

 short seta^' its external margin is continuously arcuate with the ex- 

 ternal border of the dorsal plate. Fossa narrow and transverse. 

 Basal prominences not evident. 



Superior pudendal memhrane reaching to the middle of the dorsal 

 plate, feebly and irregularly longitudinally rugulose. 



Ventroliiteral svrfares rather strongly convex, narrowly and trans- 

 versely so laterally, glabrous, sparsely and coarsely punctate, finely 

 setose about the apex; submarginal groove l)road, passing quite 

 obliquely to the internal lobe of apex. Genital fissure narrowly 

 fusiform ; valves quite contiguous basally and apically. Inferior 

 pudendal membrane not visible. 



Hahitat. — Texas ((loliad County, October, J. D. Mitchell; San 

 Antonio, Hubbard and Schwarz; Victoria; -adjoining regions of 

 Mexico, Dr. George Horn). 



Number of specimens studied, 11. 



Type a female in the LeConte collection. 



Type-locality, Laredo (Webb County) to Ringgold Baracks 

 (Starr County) in southern Texas along the Rio Grande. 



Salient type-eliaraeterH. — Shining, thorax quadrate, slightly nar- 

 rowed anteriorly and posteriorly; sides moderately rounded, apical 

 angles acute, the posterior obtuse. Elytra with the humeri acute, 

 slightly caudate at apex, punctures of the disc arranged in approxi- 

 mate series, becoming obliterated upon the apex, intervals sparsely 

 and linely punctulate (LeConte). 



iJidf/nofitir eharaeters. — Easily recognized by the character of the 

 elytral punctuation, which consists of closely placed series of fine 

 punctures, and by the elytral apices being slightly produced and 

 feebly divergent. The males are quite fusiform and noticeably 

 elongate; the females are more ovate; the legs are quite long and 

 moderately slender in both sexes. It is most closely related to fusi- 

 formiK and liable to be confused with some of the larger specimens of 

 that species. In stiiolata the anterior fenu)ra are armed in the males 

 and sinuate in the females, the humeral angles are not prolonged and 



