176 AMERICAN (;OLEOPTERA. 



before deciding on the course here pursued. It were certainly much 

 simpler to set everything down to variation of one sort or another, 

 but the differences seem too many and too constant to justify such a 

 proceeding. A careful study of localities and dates in the large 

 material at hand shows, that with a solitary exception, there has 

 been no instance of the taking of any two forms at the same time 

 and place; the single exception being the occurrence of a specimen 

 each of umbonijerum and lierculnnum on the same day. May 19th, 

 at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, a fact which may signify relation- 

 ship or the reverse, according to circumstances. 



108. A. XMUtliOXyli n. sp. — Very robust, stronjily jfiblious when viewed in 

 pi-onle. brown, clothed throughout with whitish, pale brown and blackish scales, 

 which ai'e unevenly distributed upon the elytra. Beak not very stout, subequal 

 in length to the head and prothorax, rather prominently, but not very strongly 

 dilated near the base, slightly attenuate beyond the dilatation; surfai-e more or 

 less shining, moderately punctate about the insertion of the antennae, more finely 

 and remotely toward the tip, which is polished. Antennse stout, inserted near 

 the base, first joint as long as the next two and reaching the eye, eighth trans- 

 verse. Front with two rows of punctures and a more or less evident channel 

 between them ; eyes prominent, the vertical diameter exceeding the hoiizontal 

 more than is usual. Prothorax a little wider at the base than long, conical ; 

 sides nearly straight ; a feeble apical constriction ; surface not very closely nor 

 coarsely punctate ; basal fovea wanting. Elytra strongly, longitudinally convex, 

 more suddenly declivous behind, not much longer than wide; humeri strong; 

 sides somewhat diverging to the middle ; strige coarse; intervals about one-half 

 wider, nearly flat at their summits; vestiture condensed in a basal area, reaching 

 the humeral umbones and emargiuate at the suture; the scales pale brownish, 

 whiter along the posterior border; on the second, fourth and sixth intervals 

 there are small condensed spots of pale scales, forming a transverse row behind 

 the middle, between which and the basal patch the scales are blackisii ; the first, 

 third and fifth intervals, as well as the sides and apex, are clothed witii brownish 

 white scales, varying slightly in shade. Beneath rather sparsely punctate ; legs 

 siiort, stout, first tarsal joint as wide as long, second transverse; claws with a 

 rather blunt tooth. Length 1.8-2.1 mm. ; .07-.084 inch. (PL V, figs. 14 and 14a.) 



Hab. — Texas (Brownsville and San Diego). 



Numerous specimens were taken by ^Ij-. Schwarz at San Diego, 

 where it was found bi'eeding in the seeds of Xantho.vylum pterota. 

 The sexes are scarcely separable. A very peculiar species and quite 

 unlike anything else in our fauna, though evidently allied to certain 

 tropical American forms, more especially to A. (/ibbosum Sharp, of 

 Mexico. 



I have been pleased to use the specific name suggested by Mr. 

 Schwarz. 



