10 



<1K(). II. IIOKN, M. I). 



lonn, iiiiicli imrrow(Ml in IVoiil, sides Iji'oiidly iirciiutc-, iiind iinKl<!H very liroiully 

 loiiiiilcd, disc irtiiHc in IVont iuid broadly coiicavo Ixdiind iiii ol)tusc t riiiisvtsrse 

 lidKf Ht middle, smiiicc finely not <dos(^ly piinetiiri^d, i)nnctures coarser toward 

 tlie Hides. lOlyIra very little broader behind the middle, siituriil stria dee)), in- 

 t;(>rval a little broader at alH^\■, neniinalc striae deep and eoarscly jjunctured, the 

 interspace's sparsely pnnctati^ with inteiinixed piincturos. Lcnfjth 1.05 inch; 

 2(>S> nun. 



Mii/c. — 'riic lirsl- live joiiils aUmr ffiiiaiii on the speciinoii c.Kiim- 

 iiH'd ; tli('S(> lire alinosi an cxnct rcpelitinii oC those of h iff i col 11 ft. 



Tliis s|H'ci('S and lUhci have a close sii|i<'rlicial fesenil)laiiee in form, 

 eoloi- and seid|)lnre. In t lie |»r<'.M'nl species the liiiid angles oi" the 

 ihorax ai-e so hi'oadiv rounded thai the sides and hase are rciilly 

 coiiliniioiis. The fourth join! of the aiileiiiiii' is merely transverse 

 in rihri, while in iSlaffil is |)rolono'ed in a process half the len<i,th of 

 I he lil'lli joiiil. 



As remarked l»y Dr. Le(^()iile, this species is ree()<,nii/al)ly descrihed 

 l»v Mr. Schanfnss; at (he same lime the name iiiveii was dropped 

 and /■,'(/«v/;7/.s// snhst i tilted. \\'hile I fully ai^iee wit h LeCoiite in all 

 he .says ahoiit keeping- our literature and " scieiililic nomenclature 

 free from all personal, political or rcdiuious prejudices or expressions 

 of opinion," 1 cannot accept an arliilrary chaiiLje of the iiaiiu' as an 

 adecpiali- amendmeiil of an iinwist' ohtrusion of a scieiitiiic name 

 liiveii under those inllneiices. I'rejndiees are, for the most part, very 

 ephemeral, hut an ill-coiiceiveil scieiitiiic name remains as a inonn- 

 meiil to the folh of the individual who nave it. 



California. The precise locality nnknown. 



I'or an accoiinl of the liahils of I'leocoma we are prohahlv more 

 indi'bted to (he puhlications and letters ol" Mr. L. E. Rickseeker 

 than to anv otiu'r observer. 'I'he ibllowino' summary has lurn pre- 

 pared inostlv fnun |U'ivate letters from him and others. 



'Hie lir.st rains of the wet season in California Tall atvai'iahle times 

 in Octoher and November. After the first fall of stiHieient extent 

 to moistiMi the soil for a deiith of six inches or more the specimens 

 enu'ro'e and the males ari' found llyino- about, iisnally in considerable 

 numbers in their search for the females. 



Mr. KiekseeUer writes, " no females havi' yet bei'ii found reallv on 

 \\\v surface of the <;round, and it is at present a matter of doubt 



