130 CASEY 



Elytra with the tips similarly sinuate and bidenticulate but prolonged; 

 pronotum deeply canaliculate Group II 



5 — Elytra as in Group II but with the greatly prolonged apices entire. 



Group III 



6 — Elytra more strongly, arcuately narrowed behind, the apices rather 

 abruptly but only very briefly prolonged and broadly obtuse. Group IV 



7 — Prosternum and last ventral segment not bicostate; elytral apices mod- 

 erately prolonged 8 



Prosternum with two smooth and strongly elevated costse, the fifth ventral 

 bicostulate 9 



8 — Elytral apices entire Group V 



Elytral apices sinuate and acutely bidenticulate; front with a callous band 

 between the eyes Group VI 



9 — Elytral apices markedly prolonged, rounded; metasternum strongly 

 sulcate Group VII 



10 — Body in form and sculpture somewhat as in the obscura group; elytra 

 obliquely attenuate, not prolonged, the tips obtuse; intermediate tibiae 

 not dentate Group VIII 



Although these groups differ among themselves to a very noticeable 

 extent in general appearance and sculpture^ I am not prepared at 

 present to assign any very great taxonomic weight to their differential 

 characters. The convex prosternum of mutica Lee, constituting 

 group VIII of the table, seems at first very important, but in compar- 

 ing Buprestis confluenta and Iceviventris, corresponding differences are 

 observable in even more marked degree. It will be noted that I have 

 been compelled to make some changes in the grouping proposed by 

 LeConte. 



Group I — Type ohscura Fabr. 



The species of this group are numerous and require unusual care in 

 discrimination. The hurried and superficial manner in which they 

 have been hitherto surveyed may be suflSciently inferred from the 

 statement made by Crotch (Pr. Acad. Phil., 1873, p. 85) regarding 

 his inability to distinguish lurida from ohscura, two species altogether 

 different, not only in general appearance, form of the prothorax and 

 relative prominence of the eyes, but by the very much more marked 

 internal swelling of the middle tibiae in the male of the former; they 

 are in fact representative species of the two principal sections into 

 which this group may be divided, as shown by the following table: — 



Eyes prominent; intermediate tibiae of the male not or only very feebly 

 swollen internally 2 



