NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 
15 
The extent of yellow color in the bands is variable so that the 
elytra may have more of that color than black, or vice versa. Speci- 
mens of the former were those seen by Say. The normal style of 
marking consists of a rather broad post-basal band with very sinuous 
edges, crossing the suture and reaching the lateral margin ending a 
broad extension to the humeri, behind the middle a transverse band 
crossing the suture where it is broadest, not reaching the side margin, 
with a posterior extension along the suture. The style of ornamen- 
tation seems intermediate between that of exiguus and ornatus. The 
elytra at tip have often a narrow pale border. 
Occurs from the Middle States region westward to Indiana, and 
south to District of Colundiia. A specimen collected by myself at 
Fort Tejon does not appear to difler in any respect from those found 
in the more eastern regions. 
t-. exiguus Rand. — Moderately elongate, narrowed posteriorly, convex, 
black, opaque ; elytra ornate with yellow ; antennae slender, piceous, three basal 
joints fuscous, paler beneath : head flat, densely granulate, sparsely clothed with 
short whitish pubescence ; thorax a little longer than wide 'J, , or as wide as long 
9; sides feebly arcuately narrowing to the apex in front, posteriorly parallel 
with a slight siuuation in front of the angles, which are acute and slightly di- 
vergent, the Carina long, extending fully three-fourths to apex; disc convex, 
closely granulate, the median line smooth and distinctly elevated ; surface 
sparsely pubescent, more conspicuously at the hind angles; elytra widest a little 
behind the humeri, then gradually narrowed to apex, humeri obtuse; disc rather 
deeply striate, but less so near the apex, striaj punctate, intervals slightly convex 
at base only, rather closely submuricately punctate, but smoother at apex, 
sparsely cinereo-pubescent; prosteruum moderately closely punctate, but smoother 
in front between the two transverse grooves, the lobe modeiate, but obtuse; pro- 
pleurfe subopaque, densely punctate ; metasternum densely and rather coarsely 
punctate; abdomen less closely and less coarsely punctate, last segment rufes- 
cent; femora and tai-si piceous, the tibiae pale. Length 2.5 — 3 mm.; .10 — .12 
inch. 
This species has been the cause of some confusion, in which every 
author who has treated of our Elateridte has had part. Described 
originally by Randall, in 1838, under the above name it received a 
second (guttatulus) from Mesheimer in 1845. 
In 1853, Dr. LeConte, in his “ Revision of the Elateridie,” placed 
exiguus and guttatulus, in part, in synonymy with imlchellus. When 
the Melsheimer collection became accessible to him it was observed 
that two species had been confounded, each represented by a single 
poor specimen, one representing the present species, the other it was 
thought might prove to be quadripustulatus of Europe accidentally 
introduced in the cabinet. This latter specimen bore the typical 
