STUDIES IN THE AMERICAN BUPRESTID^ 1 39 



range of sculpture and outline, so that there ought not to be much 

 difficulty in recognizing the various forms, which are in great part as 

 yet undescribed, I have restored two of Melsheimer's species, be- 

 lieving them to be valid, almost as distinctly so in fact as prolongala, 

 of LeConte, but caudata, of that author, which has been viewed with 

 suspicion, is one of the more aberrant forms of the group, indicating 

 the quality of observational work hitherto put upon them. There 

 may be some mistakes in my interpretations, owing to paucity of 

 material, but the large series of divaricataheiore me, gives a very good 

 idea of such variation as may legitimately be anticipated, so that I do 

 not think there will prove to be any considerable amount of actual 

 synonymy. The species and subspecies may be defined as follows: — 



Body of an elongate-oval, convex form, the elytra gradually rounding and 

 converging behind from only slightly behind the middle; coloration 

 generally cupreous above and beneath; species confined apparently 

 to the extreme northeastern regions and not at present known to occur 

 to the westward of New England 2 



Body oblong-elongate and more parallel, the elytra rounding less gradually 

 at the sides posteriorly and from a point always well behind the middle. 8 



2 — Elytral prolongation more or less abruptly formed, with its sides becom- 

 ing parallel for some distance before the apex 3 



Elytral prolongation gradually formed and more acuminate, not parallel 

 even at the tip ; species very small in size 7 



3 — Prothorax broadly angulate or angularly rounded at the sides well behind 

 the middle 4 



Prothorax obtusely subprominent at about the middle of the sides, the latter 

 not sharply angulate 6 



4 — Series of punctures on the elytra not evident even toward the suture. 

 Body moderately elongate, shining, dark and obscure in color above, 

 the punctures and depressions deep cupreous; under surface and legs 

 obscure cupreous; head coarsely, densely punctato-rugose, the central 

 callus small and inconspicuous; eyes relatively small, only moderately 

 convex and not noticeably prominent; prothorax three-fifths wider than 

 long, the sides very feebly convergent and sinuate for two-fifths, there 

 broadly but rather sharply angulate and thence more convergent and 

 nearly straight to the apex, which is broadly sinuate as usual; surface 

 sparsely punctate medially, impressed and more punctured on the me- 

 dian line to behind the middle, coarsely and densely so, with numerous 

 uneven callous spots irregularly disposed, broadly toward the sides, 

 with two strong deep punctures before the scutellum; elytra slightly 

 wider than the prothorax, more than twice as long as wide, strongly, 

 unevenly punctured, loosely suturally, very densely laterally, with 

 numerous small and moderately elevated, very irregular and ramify- 



