684 Coleopterological Notices, IV. 



scaly vestiture, would necessitate its removal from the genus if 

 studied with reference to the homologies of the American series of 

 genera. The European species of Barini are more difficult to treat 

 generically than our own. Some of them, such as schwarzenbergi, 

 limbata, artemisiae, atronitens, carhonaria, chlorizans, and other 

 similar forms, seem to be consistent with our conception of Baris, 

 but there are many aberrant types, having the beak longer or sepa- 

 rated from the head by a deep abrupt groove, or with the third 

 tarsal joint undilated, the body covered with a waterproof coating 

 of scales, or the tarsal claws subconnate at base, such as spoliafa, 

 loricata, convexicollis, jncturata, sellata and nitens, which cannot 

 be retained in Baris proper, and yet the structural differences do not 

 appear to be great. In judging genera in this tribe, especially 

 among the European representatives, much dependence will have 

 to be placed upon that summation of minor characters known as 

 " habitus", and, if with this difference of facies we can perceive 

 some real structural peculiarity, a study of the European species in 

 connection with our own seems to show that it will eventuall}^ have 

 to be accepted as a generic criterion. There is no other way in 

 which the old and new world species can be consistently arranged 

 in homogeneous succession from a generic standpoint. 



III. 



The measurements of length throughout the present paper include the entire 

 hody and head, but exclude the beak as usual. 



CALANDRID.E. 



Calandrin.e. 



CACTOPHAGUS Lee, 



This is a very w^ell defined and somewhat isolated genus, dis- 

 tinguishable from Sphenophorus by the larger smoother body, cyl- 

 indrical uncompressed beak and several other characters. It will 

 include a number of species inhabiting northern Mexico and the 

 regions adjacent. Our species are entirely black, but there are 

 several before me from Mexico, in which each elytron has a sub- 

 basal and subapical crimson fascia. The two species which are at 

 once distinguishable among the Arizonian specimens in my cabinet, 

 may be described as follows :— 



