54 CASEY 



sive importance in the Tenebrionidae, as for example within 

 the tribe Epitragini, but I have never noticed any species of the 

 Coniontin^e in which this process is not prolonged and subhori- 

 zontal, and but few of the Asidinaj in which it is not strongly and 

 rapidly deflexed to the posterior margin of the presternum, this 

 being a rather consistent feature distinguishing these two sub- 

 families, in addition to the form and extent of the mentum and 

 hind coxae and structure of the antennae. All of these differential 

 characters are as pronounced in Branchiis as they are in Ensat- 

 tus, Coniontis and Ccelus, and it is therefore somewhat surpris- 

 ing that the true affinities of Braiichiis were not more fully 

 dwelt upon by LeConte and Horn, who make but little mention 

 of the subject. The gular characters given by LeConte (Class., 

 I ed., p. 219) to distinguish the Branchini from the Coniontini 

 appear to be inconstant and of but little importance. As to the 

 Praocini of Lacordaire, that author, it is true, includes certain 

 genera with deflexed prosternal process, making of them a 

 separate section of the tribe, but it is possible that they may 

 properly be excluded from the subfamily Coniontinae, leaving 

 Praocis and its subgenera alone to be included among the 

 South American forms. 



Tribe Branchini. 



This tribe, which has little or no relationship with Asida, is 

 very limited in the number of its species and genera and is the 

 Atlantic coast representative of the western Coniontini and 

 Coelini, extending from Florida to Central America, although 

 one species has recently been announced, by Mr. Champion, 

 as inhabiting the western Mexican State of Guerrero. I have no 

 example of our Florida or Bahama species, but a specimen of 

 Branchus obscu7-us Horn, from Nicaragua, very kindly given 

 me by Mr. Wickham, is a pure Eusattid in every way, except 

 in having the hind coxae more widely separated and the basal 

 joint of the anterior tarsi not materially larger than those that 

 follow it. One of its most striking points of resemblance with 

 the Eusatti and with Praocis is the form of the epipleura?, which 

 are narrow very nearly to the base, where they suddenly ex- 

 pand to the sides of the elytra, forming a prominent point 



