Xiv MONTHLY PROCEEDINGS 



Female. — Larger than the male, more shining, less densely punctulate. Eyes 

 large and forming the hind angles of the head, larger and more prominent 

 than in the male. First joint of antennae in form of elongate cone, not sud- 

 denly narrowed at base and fully equal to the next three joints taken together. 

 Thorax about one-third longer than wide, apex rather deeply eraargiuate, basal 

 fovese not deep but elongate, the median groove nearly obsolete. Elytra faintly 

 Bubstriate their entire length, the disc very flat and with a distinct sharply 

 defined ridge extending from the humeri to the tip separating the disc from 

 the declivity, apices squarely truncate. Last ventral segment distinctly longer 

 than the preceding and very obtusely oval at tip. Last dorsal segment in great 

 part visible beyond the elytra. 



By the above sexual characters it will be evident that both Leconte 

 and Waterhouse had females before them, and that the smaller speci- 

 mens about which the latter author speaks are from the form of the 

 head males. 



In the Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 1878, p. 360, Mr. E. A. Schwarz 

 describes Nemicelus microphthalmus from a specimen which he calls 

 a female. I have examined the type in the cabinet of Dr. Leconte 

 and find that it is a male, and that it does not differ from any other 

 small males of the typical form excepting that its eyes are smaller, 

 and from an examination of at least seven males of this species I am 

 fully convinced that the eyes vary in size in different individuals. 



On the same page with the above Mr. Schwarz describes also Nemi- 

 celus marginipennis, in which he has unfortunately reversed the sexes. 



The species varies in length from .13 — .32 inch; 3i — 8 mm. 



Mr. Schwarz also makes the following remark : " The genus Nemi- 

 celus was first described by Dr. Leconte, and is certainly distinct from 

 Hemipeplus." The genus Nemicelus has never been described by any 

 one and is perfectly synonymous with Hemipeplus. 



The following is therefore the synonymy : 



HEMIPEPLUS Latr., Fam. nat. 1825, p. 398. 

 Nemicelus Dej., Cat. ed. 3, p. 140. 

 Ochrosanis Pascoe, Journ. Ent. 1866, p. 443. 

 marginipennis Lee, {Nemicelus) Proc. Acad. 1854, p. 79. 

 hemipterus f Latr., (fide Lacordaire). 

 hemipterus f Dej., Cat. ed. 3, p. 140. 

 marginipennis f Dej., Cat. loc. cit. 

 Dohrnii J Pascoe, ( Ochrosanis) loc. cit. pi. 18, fig. 7. 

 marginipennis 9 Waterh., Ent. Mo. Mag. 1876, xiii, p. 121. 

 Dejeanii Waterh., loc. cit. (name suggested). 

 microphthalmus % Schwarz, (Nemicelus) Proc. Am. Philos. Soc. 1878, p. 360. 



In concluding I must ask indulgence for having consumed so much 

 space in the development of the synonymy of one species, but as there 

 has been so much misunderstanding of the sexual differences and the 



