AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 143 



willing to believe Zurgus allied to DicrochlJe evidently from the form 

 of labrum, but it is really a true Plafynus form allied to Olisthopiis the 

 ligular characters of which it exaggerates. 



Lestignuthus is also a member of the group. The description of the 

 ligula heretofore given is certainly very erroneous. The ligula is in 

 great part membranous with merely a small urn-shaped piece at the tip 

 corneous, the paraglossae are very distinct and longer than the ligula. 

 By comparing the figure which I give of the parts it will be observed 

 that the ligula does not differ essentially from Plafi/vus. The tip of 

 the ligula is connected with the paraglossae by a very thin transparent 

 membrane. 



In the species of Lesfignathus before me I observe that the suture 

 between the mentum and its support is as completely obliterated as in 

 Enceladus. It is the only instance known to me of this character in 

 the present or the preceding tribe. 



For the opportunity of examining Zargus Schaumii Woll., and 

 Lestignathus Simsonii. Bates, I am indebted to Mr. E. W. Janson. 



Group Masorei. 

 No representative of this group occurs in our fauna. The latest 

 revision of the genera is by Chaudoir, (Bull. Mosc. 1876), in which 

 contrary to his usual custom he says but little of the parts of the mouth. 

 The fullest accounts of these are by Lacordaire and Duval, and both are 

 inaccurate in the description of the ligula and paraglossae. In Masoretis 

 Wetterhalli the ligula is triangular, truncate in front, the paraglossae 

 rather broad and not connate with the ligula to the tip but folded behind 

 it as represented in the accompanying dissection. It is evident that 

 Lacordaire and Duval have either dissected a Perigona or that the latter 

 author copied from the former who considered Perigona a synonym of 

 Masoreus. In his tribe of Masoreides Chaudoir places seven genera 

 some of which seem to me to belong to the next group. 



Group PerigonjK. 



This group is represented by one genus Perigona which has for its 

 synonyms Trechicus, Nestra and Spathinus. The mentum has its epi- 

 lobes prolonged to an acute spine, the emargination is deep without tooth. 

 The ligula is narrow and truncate at tip, the paraglossae slender and 

 a little longer than the ligula, and united with the latter by a thin 

 almost transparent membrane which extends from the base of the 

 paraglossae to the tip of the ligula. 



The antennae are rather stout beyond the third joint and the second 

 is as Ions as the third. 



