300 Coleopterological Notices, V. 



California, 



Tbe antenna? are not as stout as m fustiger, and have the ontcr 

 part more cylindrical, and, in addition, the prothorax is miicb 

 smaller, the elytra larger and the coloration wholly different. This 

 is the most sparsely punctate and polished species of Oxypoda which 

 I have seen. 



ACHROIUOTA u- gen. 



Body fusiform, moderately convex. Head small, but feebly con- 

 stricted at base, not inserted deeply in the prothorax ; eyes well 

 developed ; infralateral carina almost obsolete. Antennae long and 

 slender, scarcely perceptibly incrassate, setose, the first three joints 

 elongate. Mentum rather large, trapezoidal, broadly sinuate at 

 apex. Maxillary palpi well developed, the third joint slightly 

 longer than tbe second : fourth very slender, unusually long, oblique, 

 more than one-half as long as the third, simple at apex. Ligula 

 imperfect in the type. Prothorax transversely sobovaJ, the hypo- 

 mera broad, strongly inflexed and invisible from the side poste- 

 riorly, but becoming horizontal anteriorly. Elytra well developed. 

 Abdomen gradually narrowed almost from the base ; border rather 

 deep; first tergite broadly impressed at base, shorter than the second, 

 the others completely unimpressed at base ; fifth just visibly longer 

 than the fourth. Coxa? large, the intermediate very approximate 

 but not contiguous, the mesosternal process not extendii:g behind 

 the middle. Metasternum not advanced between the coxae, the fine 

 beaded line merely feebly arcuate opposite the intercoxal space, the 

 surface thence to tbe mesosternum transversely convex, the para- 

 pleurte rather wide, parallel to the elytra, the epimera not projecting 

 behind the elytra. Legs rather long and slender ; tarsi slender, 

 5-5-5-jointed, the posterior slender but much shorter than the tibise, 

 with the first four joints slightly elongate and as nearly as possible 

 perfectly equal, the fifth very long, longer than the two preceding- 

 combined j claws moderately long, slender, evenly arcuate. 



It seemed possible at first that the type of this genus might enter 

 Oxypoda as an aberrant member or subgenus, but the tarsal struc- 

 ture is so radically diff"erent that it is impossible to place it there. 

 In fact there is no European genus near Oxypoda which has the 

 posterior tarsi constituted in any way approximating this, but for 

 the present it may be considered as allied to Thiasophila. The 

 anterior tarsi are five-jointed, apparently without the slightest 



