FREDERICK BLANCHARD 
3 
and Aulonothroscus demonstrates their capacity of leaping in a 
small way, there being in life really considerable mobility of the 
prothorax at its junction with the posterior part of the body. I 
have no doubt that the other genera possess the same power, 
but I have not been able to verify it. It might be observed that 
the definition of the “family” in the classification is somewhat 
imperfect, in that it ascribes to the entire group some characters 
which are found only in one of the two tribes into which it is 
separated. 
Since Dr. Horn’s “Synopsis” — 1885 — collections have greatly 
increased, so that by the kindness of many correspondents I 
have been able to examine nearly a thousand specimens. Mr. 
Rene Oberthiir of Rennes, France, the present possessor of the 
Bonvouloir types, has very obligingly compared a series of 
specimens sent him by me for the purpose. I am also indebted 
to M. Edw. Fleutieux for friendly encouragement, and for the 
loan of material to Mr. Henshaw of the Harvard Museum at 
Cambridge, Dr. L. 0. Howard of the National Museum, Dr. 
Skinner of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 
Messrs. Fall, Van Dyke, Fuchs, Blaisdell, Leng, Roberts, Beu- 
tenmiiller, Schaeffer, Joutel, Liebeck, Dr. Castle, Chittenden, 
Dury, Wickham, Bowditch, Richardson and D. B. Young. 
The subfamily Throscinae is like most other Elateridae in 
having a posterior prosternal spine, a mesosternal striking point 
strongly chitinized, and a fossa receiving the spine, and in having 
the hind coxae contiguous on the median line. It differs by the 
very close adaptation of the pro- and mesosternum, as pointed 
out by LeConte and Horn in the classification, the front and 
middle coxae deeply immersed, the anterior ones almost hidden 
by the broad process which is infracoxal as well as intercoxal. 
Two very distinct tribes are indicated, — the Lissomini and 
the Throscini. In the latter and in the genus Drapetes of the 
former tribe, the last ventral segment overlaps the apices of the 
elytra, engaging the slightly explanate inferior margin which is 
formed by a continuation of the epipleura, thus more securely 
locking the elytra. The same adaptation exists in all Eucnemi- 
nae that I have examined except in lorhipis (Tharops). The 
epipleura in most Elateridae apparently terminating opposite the 
hind coxae, are in fact turned inward, the inner margin forming 
THAN8. AM. ENT. SOC., XLIU. 
