AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 151 



11 elongate oval, subacute at tip. Eyes lateral, round, entire and 

 moderately prominent. Thorax quadrate, broader than long, lateral 

 margin acute. Elytra elongate parallel and at apical fourth gradu- 

 ally narrowed to tip. Epipleurae scarcely longer than half the elytra. 

 Legs moderate. Anterior coxae oval, moderately prominent and con- 

 tiguous, but without distinct trochantin. Middle coxae with distinct 

 trochantin. Tibiae slender, spurs minute. Body elongate, glabrous. 



Allied to Pi/tlio, Cry-modes, etc., but differs from all by its sub- 

 quadrate, acutely margined thorax. Their affinities may be expressed 

 in the followiug table : 



Anterior coxfe contiguous; intercoxal process of prosternum short. 



Middle coxse contiguous; meso- and metasternum not meeting PytliO. 



Middle coxae separated; meso- and metasternum joined. 



Mandibles concealed; thorax acutely margined Sphalma. 



Mandibles prominent; margin of thorax rounded Prioguathus. 



Anterior coxse distinctly separated; intercoxal process long. 



Head slightly constricted behind the eyes forming a neck Boros. 



Head not constricted, stout Crj modes. 



The genus Sphalma was known to me at the time of the prepara- 

 tion of my revision of the Tenebrioindae. The only specimen then 

 known (see Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. xiv., 254) was in the cabinet 

 of Mr. Ulke, and was inaccessible to me at that time. The only 

 peculiarity of the insect retained in memory was the contiguity of the 

 anterior coxae. Through the kindness of Mr. H. Edwards, of San 

 Francisco, I have been presented with a specimen, from which the 

 preceding diagnosis has been prepared. The open anterior coxal 

 cavities forbids its reference to the Tenebrionidae. 



S. quadrioollis, n. sp. — Moderately elongate, sub-depressed, piceous, 

 shining. Head coarsely but sparsely punctured. Antennae piceo-rufous. 

 Thorax subquadrate, slightly broader than long, apex and base truncate, sides 

 very feebly arcuate, margin acute; surface moderately convex, sparsely and 

 evenly punctured. Elytra broader at base than thorax, sub-parallel attenuate 

 and obtusely rounded at apex, moderately convex, sparsely but irregularly 

 punctured, the junctures becoming obsolete towards apex. Body beneath pi- 

 ceous, shining, sparsely jiunctured. Legs piceous or rufo-piceous. Length .36 

 inch ; 9 mm. 



Specimens in my cabinet and that of Mr. Ulke, from California. 

 The insect is about three times as long as the width of the elytra at 

 base. 



