46 J. L. LECONTE, M. D. 



d;il, nithor large, broader than lon;^, wider in front; ligula rather 

 larj^e, einarginute, palpi short, rather stout, 2d and 3d joints broader 

 and shorter than the 1st. 



Prosternuui very short, hardly visible, front coxie transversely coni- 

 cal, contiguous, trochantin large, cavities narrowly closed behind ; 

 middle coxae separated, small, uiesosternuiu protuberant; metasternum 

 large, side pieces narrower and pointed behind, hind coxae widely 

 separated, laminate, the plate curved in arc of circle behind, and half 

 as long as the 1st ventral. 



Abdomen conical with six free segments, Ist large, longer than the 

 four following united, which are equal in length but rapidly nar- 

 rower; Gth equal to the four preceding united, rather longer than 

 wide, concave and emarginate behind, with two anal filaments equal 

 in length to the segment itself 



Legs short, front tibiae somewhat thickened at tip; tarsi slender, 

 rather shorter than tibiae, apparently -l-jointed, Ist and 2d joints 

 short, 3d equal to them united, 4th equal to the others united, claws 

 rather long and slender. 



Body small, scaphiform, rounded in front, narrowed behind, convex, 

 elongate and shining. Head rather large ; prothorax narrower in 

 front, with deflexed angles, base truncate not margined. Scutellum 

 small. Elytra without striae, slightly punctulate, broadly truncate at 

 tip. Abdomen projecting somewhat behind the elytra, with three 

 segments visible, conical, not margined at the sides. 



H. nataus. — Oval, narrower behind, convex, black or brown, shining; 

 head and prothorax nearly smooth, elytra sparsely and finely punctulate; an- 

 tennae and legs testaceous. Length less than .5 rnra ; .02 inch. 



Found abundantly by Mr. Crotch, at Los Angeles in the river. 

 Mr. Crotch informs me that this very singular insect resembles, in ap- 

 pearance some of the species of Limnebms. It greatly differs from that 

 genus, as from all other Ili/iJrophilidse. by the laminate and widely 

 separated hind coxae, and by the peculiar abdomen. It seems to me 

 another of the synthetic types gradually becoming known to us among 

 the smaller and more obscure forms, connecting several different fami- 

 lies of the C/avicorn series; in this instance the Ni/droj)hili(lix, Scajjh- 

 icfiidae and perhaps the TrU-hopterygidx. In the accepted arrangement 

 of Coleoptera, it must be considered as indicating a new family. 



