AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 313 



in. saevus Lee— Oval, black, shining, very sparsely pubescent. Head 

 moderately densely punctured. Antennae piceous. Thorax a little less than 

 twice as wide as long, narrowed in front, sides moderately arcuate, margin 

 narrow, hind angles obtuse, disc convex, moderately densely punctate. Elytra 

 a little longer than wide conjointly, surface a little more coarsely punctured 

 than the thorax. Beneath black, not densely punctate. Anterior tibiae serrate, 

 middle tibiae emarginate on the outer side near the tip and finely spinulose, pos- 

 terior tibiae dilated, finely spinulose. Length .08 — .10 inch; 2—2.5 mm. 



The claws are simple, the prosternum slightly broader behind the 

 coxae and rounded at tip. The front is extremely feebly emarginate, 

 the angles distinct. Claws simple. 



This species is one of the most easily known of any in our fauna. 

 It is always black and never with any metallic lustre. 



Occurs in Missouri and Kansas. 



M. riifimanus Lee. — Oval, slightly oblong, black, thorax seueous, elytra 

 blue, sparsely pubescent. Head aeneous, moderately densely punctured. An- 

 tennae piceous. Thorax twice as wide as long, narrower in front, sides mo(^r- 

 ately arcuate, margin from base to apex narrowly explanate, hind angles 

 obtusely rectangular, disc convex, moderately densely punctured. Elytra one- 

 fourth longer than wide, slightly narrowed to apex, surface rather finely and 

 sparsely punctate and more shining than the thorax. Body beneath black, 

 moderately densely punctured. Legs piceous or black, the tibiae especially the 

 anterior often paler. Anterior tibiae finely denticulate; middle and posterior 

 similar, finely spinulose. Length .08 — .10 inch; 2 — 2.5 mm. 



The prosternum is narrow, the tip subacutely rounded. Front 

 nearly truncate. Claws simple. 



This species and the next are extremely close and it may be a 

 matter of doubt as to whether they should be retained as distinct. 

 They seem to differ in the thoracic margin ; here the margin is of 

 equal width from apex to base and is quite distinctly deplanate even 

 to the hind angles. The sides of the thorax seem also arcuate in 

 front of the hind angles so that the base is a little narrowed. Finally 

 the surface here is not alutaceous between the punctures. The color 

 of the antennae and legs has no value. 



Mr. Reitter has sent me a specimen under the name cali/orniacs, 

 which he considers a variety of the European ii. seneus Fab., per- 

 fectly identical with the present species, and while I presume the 

 determination to be correct our name is retained until further com- 

 parisons are made. 



Occurs in California and Oregon. 



M. mutatus Harold, {rujicornis \\ Lee.)— This species resembles the pre- 

 ceding so closely that merely the slight differences will be detailed: Form 

 slightly more robust, surface subopaque, the interspaces between the punctures 

 distinctly alutaceous. Thoracic margin distinctly deplanate but not of equal 



TRANS. AMER. ENT. SOC. VII. (40) SEPTEMBER, 1879. 



