AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 121 



such species described, but in Dejean's Catalogue, edit, iii., p. 122, 

 may be found Anthocomus flavifrons, to which LeConte makes refer- 

 ence, Proc. Acad. 1852, p. 165, without, however, adding any descrip- 

 tion. There is but, the merest wreck of a specimen bearing this name 

 in LeConte's Cabinet, and it appears to be merely Anthocomus Erich- 

 sonii with a rufous front. At all events the name should be entirely 

 dropped until the species to which the name is applicable shall have 

 been described. 



An examination of the above table will show two very well defined 

 groups into which the genus is primarily divided. The first resembles 

 Tanaops in many of its characters and indicates to the student the 

 difficulty of defining genera with any great degree of accuracy in this 

 family. In the group with broader and shorter heads the tendency is 

 ( toward Malachius, although in this direction other points of difference 

 occur, that render the separation, much easier of definition. 



A. rostratus, n. sp. — Head black, shining, very sparsely punctured, in 

 length greater than the thorax, and one-half longer than broad. Antennae 

 black, two basal joints piceous, longer than the head and thorax. Thorax pale 

 rufous, one-third broader than long and slightly broader behind, sides feebly 

 arcuate, base less so, margin reflexed behind and at base, and narrowly colored 

 with black, surface shining. Elytra at base broader than thorax, sides gradu- 

 ally divergent behind, surface sparsely punctured and feebly rugose; color in 

 great part blackish with lateral margin, apex and suture except at basal third 

 pale yellowish. Body beneath and legs black shining; thorax beneath and 

 abdomen pale rufous, terminal joint of latter black. Length (including head) 

 .18 inch ; 4.5 mm. 



The head and thorax together are shorter than the elytra. The 

 surface above and beneath is sparsely clothed with short black hairs. 

 The form of elytral marking is very common in our species and the 

 relations of the pale margin and black enclosed space are variable. In 

 most species the black is reduced to a stripe, very narrow and some- 

 times divided at middle so as to form four spots, and in this case the 

 sutural pale space is apt to extend to the base. 



One specimen from Keyesville, California, found feeding on the 

 flowers of iEsculus. 



A. trimaculatus, Motsch. (Scalopterus) Bull. Mosc. 1859, iv., p. 407; 

 elegans, Horn, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1870, p. 86. 



I have no doubt that the species described by me is the same as 

 that described by Motschulsky. It may easily be distinguished from 

 any of our species by its elongate head with the front rufous and the 

 vertex and occiput black, the rufous thorax and the more shining 



TRANS. AJIER. ENT. SOC. IV. (16) OCTOBER, 1S72. 



