98 Coleopterological Notices. 



specimens of which the original type is one, occasionally entirely 

 disappear. 



There are before me two specimens collected at Luna, New 

 Mexico, by Mr. Wickham, which appear to belong to this species; 

 they are nearly as small as Sayi, and notably smaller than any other 

 specimens of simplex which I have seen. I prefer to attach them 

 provisionally to simplex, because the punctures at the sides of the 

 elytra are wide and deeply impressed, as in that species, but they 

 are not included in the above measurement of length. 



P. politlis Melsh. — Proc. Ac. Phil., II, p. 102. — Broadly oval, from one- 

 third to tvvo-lifths longer than wide, black above and beneath ; legs and 

 antennae paler, dark rufo-testaceous ; moderately shining. Head feebly sub- 

 truncate at apex, very minutely, feebly reticulate in broken wavy lines, finely, 

 rather sparsely and distinctly punctate ; antennae rather slender, club much 

 shorter than the six preceding joints combined, the last joint about one-third 

 longer than the two preceding together. Prothorax twice as wide at base as at 

 apex, and slightly more than twice as wide as long, the basal bead fine and 

 distinct in middle third ; disk excessively minutely and feebly reticulate in 

 wavy lines, extremely minutely, feebly and rather sparsely punctate. Scutel- 

 lum acutely ogival, one-half wider than long. Elytra about twice as long as the 

 prothorax, not narrowed toward apex which is very broadly, evenly rounded ; 

 sutural stria continuous, very fine ; discal fine, distinct, terminating at basal 

 sixth ; disk without distinct impressed lines, having approximate and nearly 

 equal rows of fine feeble punctures, which do not become entirely obsolete at 

 base, and rather abruptly much larger, stronger, partly confused and broadly 

 lunate at tlie sides and apex ; surface finely and distinctly reticulate, the reti- 

 culations extremely minute, and forming imperfectly defined transverse wavy 

 rows toward base, coarse and more rounded toward sides and apex. Abdomen 

 finely reticulate, rather coarsely, subasperately punctate, coarsely pubescent. 

 ■ Tarsi moderately slender, with unusually coarse and prominent tufts of yel- 

 lowish hair beneath, the posterior two-thirds as long as the tibiae, with the first 

 joint scarcely one-half as long as the second. Length 1.5-2.2 mm. 



Pennsylvania ; North Carolina ; Missouri ; Texas. 



The metasternal process projects far in advance of the middle 

 coxae, and is strongly rounded at apex, the apical bead rather fine 

 and not at all dilated laterally, the prosternal process unusually 

 wide, being at its narrowest part but slightly less than one-half as 

 wide as the metasternal. 



This species is very common and widely diffused ; it does not 

 appear to vary much except, as usual in this genus, in point of size. 

 It is the least shining of any of our species except pumilio. 



