6 
NORTH AMERICAN THROSCIDAE 
Specimens have been seen with the elytral spots very small, but 
the type of nitidus Melsheimer remains unique; it strongly sug- 
gests the next species. Specimens are sometimes seen a little 
less or a little greater than the measurements given. 
It is known from Canada and every state east of the Mississippi 
except Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, South 
Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Louis- 
iana, and has been seen or recorded from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas 
and Texas. 
2. Drapetes niger Bonvouloir 
Elongate, slightly narrower behind, black, shining, the upper surface with 
two kinds of pubescence, fine dark hairs occupying the disk of the pronotum, 
where they are suberect, and on the disk and apex of the elytra; more con- 
spicuous white hairs, not closely placed, on the head, anterior and posterior 
angles of the pronotum, on the humeri, and forming a distinct post-median 
band on the elytra. Frontal margin of head broadly rounded, slightly re- 
flexed; head moderately, rather sparsely punctate and slightly impressed 
before the vertex in one specimen, not in the other; antennae inserted under 
the front, serrate, black except first and second joints which are testaceous. 
Pronotum rather sparsely punctate, a few of the punctures behind the middle 
much coarser, about as long as wide at base or perhaps a little less, as wide 
at base as the elytra, thence gradually, feebly narrowed to the anterior third 
and then strongly rounded to apex; margin fine, anterior angles much ad- 
vanced before the middle of the apical margin, lateral carina long, reaching 
two-thirds the length of the pronotum. Elytra finely, sparsely punctate, 
gradually narrowing from base and broadly, feebly arcuate to near the tips, 
thence strongly rounded, punctures finer than those of the pronotum and with 
a subserial arrangement. Beneath black, finely cinereous pubescent; tro- 
chanters, tibiae and tarsi more or less reddish; basal half of prosternmn bisul- 
cate, the interv^al as broad as the sulci, a very few sparse and fine punctures in 
front, the lobe finely margined at apex and sparsely punctate; sides beneath 
coarsely, not closely punctate, metasternum more finely, sparsely punctate, 
abdomen more closely and regularly, finely punctate, the punctures smaller 
than those of the metasternum. Length 3 mm. 
The above rather detailed description is drawn from two speci- 
mens found by Mr. Chas. Schaeffer at Brownsville, Texas. It 
was originally described from Mexico. Rather singularly Dr. 
Horn, in the Biologia, where it is figured, omits any mention of 
the lateral carinae of the pronotum. 
3. Drapetes rubricollis LeConte 
Elongate oval, head and underside except the prothorax, black, the latter 
bright red; elytra deep blue, distinctly, not closely punctate, surface shining, 
clothed above with suberect stiff hairs, white on the head and elytral apices, 
