22 Memoirs of tlit ludntn MuMfunt. \\'*>u. VII, 



Suhfaiiiily l'Shin.H'A.\HH\ .1/. 



Thp inui«t extonnivr grnuM of thi?t Kuhfuinily, ami one of the moHt primitive, appcar.H to 

 bo Pofnliug, a pi'iiHs which, ns liinit«><I by provion.s niithorM. ha>. provinl inost (lifliciilt to ilotine 

 sati.tfartortly. N'oiu' of the clianu-torN hitherto usetl for this purpov ap|M>ar reallv to have 

 mure thnii spe«-ific vahie. K^pecially variabh> ami untru.st worthy, in inaiiv niHOH even as 

 a .Hpe«irir rhararter, is the shape ami size of the leiitral tubprrK». Some of the most ilolitiitc 

 c'hararters are fouml in the «-lypous, but even thesi» do not as a nih* affoni satisfactory 

 generic distinct iontt. It Heenu neceMtary, therefore, to sink the names llflmmg { ^-Strrantu), 

 (klontfttiirnius (— Pn^sahig. aiict. iier Fabri«iiis) ami I'dssalotaeiiiuH as svnonvnis <»f I'opitimi. 

 Simihtrly Coniger, Kimnr and Rimorini.s may l)e sunk as synonvm* of (Ulenx. Ami 

 lM»th /'opilitis and Oilnis nuist be redefined. 



The plastic and primitive genus I'ofiilni.s forms a stnrtinj; point to which th«' remaining 

 genera «»f American I'assalidae may be traced back, the more primitive species of all the 

 remaining subfamilies having the clypeus similarly exposed, although there is usually no 

 clyiK'ofrontal suture, and the more highly specialized having it hidden. 



In the subfamily Psemlacanthinae itself three separate lines of evolution mav b«; 

 recognizetl. In one. which includes a new genus (Hlfniden, and the genera Oilrus and 

 VnduUfer, the sides of the metasternum are broadly hairy. In another, which is represented 

 only by the genus Spuriua, the central tubercle is absent. In tin- tliird tin- fivtra an- 

 united and the wings are of u.ne for .stridulation but not for flight. 



The more primitive members of the third group have the three ternunal teeth of the 

 mandibles distinct as in Pnpilius. I have only seen three such species; these belong to 

 the genera pMi'udartintfins, Trint'nun/us ami SasoprtHviliis. in none of which are the sides of 

 the elytra hairy. It will be convenient to unite these three genera, and with them should 

 probably go the genera ffyi/ijfs. Prosoclitus and Tru(iitiu.s. which have hairless elytra — 

 unbirtunately their mandibles have not been de.scribed. Petrejoidea should perhaps come 

 here also, btit Kuwert's definition is inconclusive, and I have nothing else to go by. The 

 name may e<pially well be synonymous with Procuh-jus or even with ProculejouU's. 



The genera Prociilejus} Prnsorliliis. and Erioplerus should likewise, in all probability, 

 be united into «ine genus Pntrulrju.s, difTering from Pseii(hiriiiil/i>i.-< in having only two teeth 

 at the apex of the man<lible instead of three and in having hairy sided elytra. The 

 reduction in the numl>er of teeth on the niandii)le probably takes place by the union 

 of the two lowest terminal teeth. The anterior lower tooth ap|)ear- broad and bidentatc in 

 this genus on l>oth mandibles, instead of bidentate nil the left .md imident.ite on tlie riirht as 

 in allied forms of the preceding genus. 



The genera of Pseudacanthinue may be defined thus : - 



I The ••Ivtra tJ-iMirnti". their vortiral antfhiir |>art lijihtly ronrnvo . . . . 'J 



The olytfA iiiiit<'<l aliin}! the niicldlc lino, th<-ir vi-rtirul niitorior 

 part tiuhtly con%-ex 6. 



■ K»vpt P. fvi/nMtf, Kaap («m bvlow p. SI). 



