NORTH amp:rican coleoptera. 
173 
“Above copper colored, glossy underneath with a thick coat of cinereous pile: 
antennae black, legs obscurely rufous, posterior thighs uuidentate, prothorax 
subtransverse. Length of body lines. Taken in Canada by Dr. Bigsby. . . . 
Head downy channeled, mouth and palpi rufous, mandibles and antennae black ; 
prothorax rather wider than long, very minutely, thickly and confluently punc- 
tured and wrinkled, channeled with a pair of impressions on each side, anterior 
tubercles not prominent, scutellum downy; elytra very glossy, punctured in 
rows, a single anterior impression near the suture, truncated at the apex ; three 
intermediate segments of the abdomen have a yellow margin; legs obscurely 
rufous, thighs bronzed in the middle, posterior thighs with a minute tooth near 
the apex.” 
Mesosternum narrower than the coxa; first ventral shovtGr than the metaster- 
num; elytral tip rounded, not truncate, as described above. It is very little 
rounded, but compared with subtilis it is seen to be distinctly rounded. Sutural 
margin sinuate near the apex, the sinuation filled with a glittering impunctate 
plate; form convex, thorax depressed, third and second joints of antennae sub- 
equal. 
3Iale. pygidium truncate and slightly arcuately emarginate. 
Female, pygidium more elongate, rounded ; tooth of posterior femora smaller. 
The sexes of cuprea are not readily distinguished. 
The color varies from briglit reddish or cupreous, through many 
shades of metallic color, to a form nearly black. The legs are yel- 
low or rufous in the majority of specimens ; in a few they are nearly 
black, and constitute the variety pyritosa Lee. 
The relative length of the antennal joints is not constant, and 
will not serve to separate pyritosa, as a species, as stated by Mr. 
Crotch. From some variation observed in the specimens before me, 
I am doubtful if it is a sufficiently defined variety even to be con- 
tinued in the list. 
The indentations of the elytra are somewhat variable in depth 
and consequent distinctness, but are never very marked. The species 
is sometimes mixed in collections with CBqualis Say, and the depth 
of these indentations afford a convenient index for their separation. 
Length 6—8 mm. ; .24 — .32 inch. Habitat. — Hud. Bay Terr., Can., Van., Wash., 
Oreg., Cal., Idaho. Mont., Wis., Mich., (.'ol. A few of the numerous specimens 
are labeled Mass., N. Y. and N. J., and are perhaps correct, but the species ap- 
pears to be more abundant in the North and West. 
I), feiuoralis Kirby. Original description. 
“Body bronzed, gilded with a greenish tint, very minutely and thickly punc- 
tured, not conspicuously hairy underueath. Frontal channel slight; antennse. 
except the scape, wiiich is bronzed, and mouth rufous; prothorax with an im- 
pression above the scutellum, anterior tubercles more than usually prominent, 
scutel rather large. Elytra with single slight anterior impression adjoining the 
suture ; legs rufous, but the thighs, which are much iucrassated, excejjt the base 
and summit are green bronzed, posterior thigh without any tooth. Ahdomen as 
in the preceding species, yellow. This species seems nearly related to pusilla.” 
The posterior thighs are dentate in male, and the above description was made 
from a single female specimen. 
