

PYTHIDAE. 25? 



sterna, without trochantin ; mandibles scarcely visible beyond the 

 labrum ; anterior coxa? small, conical, contiguous ; tibial spurs 

 very small. 



This tribe consists of the genus Cononotus, of which two spe- 

 cies were found by me under stones in California ; they are slen- 

 der, pale brown, finely pubescent insects of small size, having the 

 thorax elongated, and regularly conical in form, and much nar- 

 rowed behind ; the lateral suture is nearly effaced, though still 

 capable of being traced ; the maxillary palpi are very long, and 

 the last joint is large and triangular. 



It is very difficult to indicate the affinities of this genus ; it 

 seems to be equally out of place in any family. It was formerly 

 considered by me as allied to Apocrypha, of the Tenebrionida?, 

 a view adopted by Lacordaire ; but the open anterior coxal 

 cavities forbid such an association. The first- and second ventral 

 segments appear to be connate ; should dissection confirm this 

 observation, it will point very strongly towards the reception of 

 the genus as a separate family. 



Tribe III.— SALPINGO^. 



Head prominent, front flattened, prolonged more or less into a 

 broad beak ; last joint of maxillary palpi not dilated ; metasternum 

 long, body winged, intercoxal process of abdomen acute ; middle 

 coxse embraced by the sterna, without trochantin ; mandibles not 

 visible beyond the labrum ; anterior coxae conical, contiguous. 



This tribe consists of species of small size ; two of the genera 

 are represented on both sides of the continent ; the third, Tanyr- 

 hinus, is found in Russian America, and is unknown to me ; the 

 form of thorax is very different from that of the other genera, 

 being described as very much narrower at tip than at base ; the 

 reverse is the case in every genus of the present family known to 

 me ; the 5-jointed hind tarsi are also altogether anomalous, and 

 I am inclined to believe that the genus has been improperly con- 

 sidered as allied to Rhinosimus. 



Hind tarsi 4-jointed ; 



Beak broad, and Tery short. Salpingus. 



Beak prolonged ; RniNosiiwus. 



Hind tarsi 5-jointed; beak prolonged. Tanyruujus. 



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