364 BULLETIN 03, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Type-locality. — California; no special locality is mentioned by 

 Mannerheim. Collector, D. Blaschke. 



Salient type -character's. — Oblong. Thorax with the sides rounded, 

 thinly margined, base narrowed and equal to the apex; dorsum 

 thickly punctate and _ densely granuliferous at the sides. Elytra 

 oblong-ovate, attenuate behind the middle, dorsum gently punctate, 

 the punctures granuliferous, on each side asperate, humeri rounded 

 and anteriorly prominent and somewhat produced (^Mannerheim). 



Diagnostic characters. — According to Mannerheim it differs from 

 pai'vicollis in being much larger and narrower, the thorax longer 

 and broader; elytra at the periphery asperate, chiefly distinctly 

 subrugose. 



Examples com])ared with specimens in the LeConte collection by 

 Mr, Blanchard were imhesitatingly referred to the present distinctly 

 marked race. 



Mannerheim's type was undoubtedly more asperately sculptured 

 on the elytra than the majority of specimens before me, but there are 

 many that exactly agree with his description. 



These more strongly sculptured examples must be separated from 

 the var. constricta; in the latter the head and thorax are much more 

 coarsely and less densely punctured, the elytra are quite strongly 

 asperate. 



Any student ought not to have any trouble in recognizing this dis- 

 tinctly oblong variety, the elytra flattened, Avith the base broad, the 

 humeri prominent and distinctly margined by the epipleuree. 



A fact already brought to the reader's notice is that all El codes — 

 with very few exceptions — vary in form, and the heterotypes may 

 simulate (be amphitypical of) other species so closely as to often be 

 very difficult of recognition. 



For example, a specimen before me could easily be mistaken for 

 co7isohnna, but the broader thorax with impressed sides and more 

 prominent humeri renders the diagnosis certain. 



Smaller and less characteristic forms will be found in the lower 

 levels westward even as far as the coast. 



General ohservations. — The mentum is usually distinctly parabolic 

 in outline and variable in size, the surface is very broadly and obso- 

 letely foveate laterally, centrally more or less feebly convex, finely 

 sculptured, and not noticeably setose. 



Prosternum not very prominent ventrally with th(> coxa': often 

 arcuate antero-posteriorly, or feebly convex between the coxa' and 

 vertically truncate behind ; rarely distinctly mucronate. 



Mesosternum variable^ sometimes deeply excavated at middle and 

 lobed laterally; usually more or less broadly concave. 



The metasternum laterally l)etween the coxa' is as long as the Avidth 

 of a mesotibia at middle. 



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