Coleopterological Notices. 95 



Punctures of series very strong, the series equal, approximate and 



very distinct, extending almost to the base sei'iatllS 



Third joint of antennae distinctly shorter than the two following united; 

 upper surface finely, feebly reticulate pillllilio 



P. ovalis Lee. — Proc. Ac. Phil., 1856, p. 15. — Evenly elliptical, one-half 

 longer than wide, intense black throughout ; legs, trophi and antennse same ; 

 highly polished. Head and antennae nearly as in penicillatus. Prothorux at 

 base twice as wide as the head, a little more than twice as wide as long, very 

 minutely, feebly and rather sparsely punctate, otherwise as in penicillatus. 

 Scutellum large, two-thirds wider than long ; triangular ; sides arcuate ; apex 

 narrowly rounded ; surface very minutely and almost imperceptibly punctate. 

 Elytra two and one-half times as long as the prothorax, gradually, evenly, 

 semi-circularly rounded behind, polished but having very indistinct traces of 

 coarse reticulation toward apex, punctured in approximate rows of small rather 

 closely-placed rounded and distinct punctures, which become nearly obsolete 

 toward base, the alternate rows being decidedly more distinct and even, the 

 intermediate rows composed of much smaller and feebler punctures, quite 

 \inevenly arranged ; sutural bead fine and distinct, the stria continuous along 

 the scutellum and with the basal stria ; discal stria strong, vanishing at from 

 one-fifth to one-sixth tlie length from the base. Abdomen clothed rather densely 

 in the middle, and very sparsely toward the sides, with coarse hairs. Legs 

 robust ; posterior tarsi slender, two-thirds as long as the tibia, with the first 

 joint scarcely one-half as long as the second. Length 1.8-2.5 mm. 



California (Sonoma and Monterey Cos.). 



The metasternum projects between the middle coxse to the ante- 

 rior limit of the latter; it is broad and sabtruncate at apex, between 

 three and four times as wide as the narrowest part of the prosternal 

 process, and the mesosternum forms a fine bead in the middle por- 

 tions of the apex, which becomes much more evident at the sides. 



The species resembles penicillatus very closely in sculpture and 

 coloration, but is smaller, the largest specimens being equal in size 

 to the smallest of that species; its form is more narrowly and evenly 

 elliptical, and the structure of the meso-intercoxal parts quite dif- 

 ferent. In penicillatus the metasternal process extending beyond 

 the anterior limit of the middle coxae, the mesosternum is excavated 

 under the overreaching visible portions, while in the present species 

 the mesosternum, excepting the portion forming the very fine ter- 

 minal bead of the metasternum, forms a very feebly concave per- 

 pendicular surface. 



P. penicillatus Say. — ,Tourn. Ac. Phil., IV, p. 91. — Robust, some- 

 what oblong ; sides feebly arcuate in the middle, subtruncate behind ; highly 

 polished, intense black througliout the body, legs, trophi and antennae, the 



