AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 307 



less narrowed in front. Elytra less deeply striate, strice more indistinct near 

 the future. Length .30 inch .: 7.5 mm. 



One specimen, from California. Cabinet Mr. II. Ulke. 



Our species of Elater with red elytra and a black spot at apex usu- 

 ally cordiform iu shape, may be distinguished in the following man- 

 ner. 



Thorax clothed with black hairs, surface opaque. 



Apical spot cordiform, margin of elytral apex red cordifer. 



Apical spot irregularly cordiform covering the entire apex Behrensi. 



Thorax with yellow hairs, surface sub-opaque or shining. 



Apical spot cordiform covering the entire apex cordatus. 



Ajiical spot cordiform, suture and apical margin red apicatus. 



Apical half of the elytra black, not cordiform in outline; thorax very 

 shining dimidiatus 



The hairs of the thorax in the last three species are variable in 

 color being either yellow, ferruginous or pale reddish brown, the term 

 yellow being used as a convenient expression for separating them 

 from the preceding two, iu which the hairs are very black and more 

 decidedly erect. 



ELATRINUS, nov. gen. 



The above genus is proposed for an Elateride^ allied to Elater and 

 E/astrus, with characters as follows : — 



Head feebly convex, anterior margin rounded and rather elevated. 

 Antennas strongly serrate ; first joint moderate, second very short, 

 broader than long, 3 — 10 broadly triangular, eleventh longer but with- 

 out false joint. 



Maxillary palpi with last joint elongate oval, truncate at tip, labial 

 subtriangular. 



Prostcrnal sutures double, slightly convex inwards and canaliculate 

 anteriorly. 



Coxae strongly and suddenly dilated within and obtusely angulate 

 at free edge of plate. 



Tarsi simple, first joint longer than the three, and nearly as long as 

 tlie four following, together ; joints 2 — 3 — i gradually decreasing iu 

 length . Claws simple. 



By the above characters it will be seen that the present genus is 

 is allied to Elaalrus from which it differs in the structure of the an- 

 tennoe. 



E. anthrax, n. sp. — Black, shining, sparsely clothed with brownish-black 

 hairs. Head coarsely but sparsely punctured. Antennae black. Thorax lon- 

 ger than broad, gradually narrowed anteriorly, sides in front feebly rounded. 



