CURCULIONIDES. 269 



Descriptions of North American Curculionides and an arrangement of some 

 of our known species agreeably to the method of Schoenherr,* July 1831. 



BRUCHUS Fabr. 



1. B. 4-MACULATUS, F. Oliv. — Fabricius says it inhabits the 

 island of Santa Cruz, and Olivier says it is from Carolina. The 

 only individual I have seen was found by Mr. Barabino at New 

 Orleans. 



Olivier gives its length at three-twentieths of an inch. The 

 present specimen is considerably over one-tenth, but is less than 

 three-twentieths. 



2. B. OBTECTUS. — Dusky ; base and tip of the antennae feet 

 and abdomen obscure rufous. 



Inhabits Louisiana. 



Body above blackish ; with prostrate, somewhat dense, dull 

 yellowish hairs : antennae gradually thicker to the tip, basal half 

 and terminal joint dull rufous, second joint nearly as long as the 

 third : thorax with numerous, distant punctures ; elytra immac- 

 ulate, the striae distinct ; apical margin obsoletely rufous ; beneath 

 black, with prostrate hair ; feet dull rufous ; posterior thighs 

 somewhat dilated, beneath blackish with a tooth near the tip and 

 about two small ones nearer the tip ; abdomen dull rufous, immac- 

 ulate. 



Length less than three-twentieths of an inch. 



3. B. TRIANGULARIS. — Black ; elytra with a triangular band, 

 in which is a black spot each side. 



Inhabits Mexico. 



*I am greatly indebted to this distinguished naturalist for his able 

 work the " Dispositio Methodica Curculionidum" as well as for a know- 

 ledge of several unpublished genera of this family ; my thanks are also 

 due to Germar who has kindly furnished me with his ' ' Coleopterorum 

 species nov:?e aut minus cognitse descriptionibus illustratse, " in which 

 many new genera are instituted. 



[The very unnatural classification of Schonherr has left this famDy 

 in such an unsatisfactory condition so far as regards the identification 

 of genera, that I have not yet attempted a critical study of our species. 

 My notes on this paper therefore will be meagre and more imperfect 

 than in other portions of the work. — Lbc.] 



