]30 Journal New York Entomological Society. [Vol. vm. 



(Byturidse) and Dermestidre, and is quite out of position in the 

 catalogue of Heyden, Reitter and Weise. Its general characters have 

 been sufficiently presented by LeConte and Horn and need not be re- 

 peated at the present time. The tarsi are filiform and 4-jointed and 

 the anterior in at least the first subfamily, are 3-jointed, more or less 

 dilated and pubescent beneath in the males ;* the basal joint is 

 generally elongated. The anterior coxas are large, obliquely ovoidal 

 and prominently convex in the first subfamily but smaller in the 

 second, narrowly separated, with the cavities widely open or closed. 

 The ornamentation of the elytra in many species is remindful of the 

 Attagenini, but the eyes are coarsely faceted — in marked contrast to 

 the Dermestidre. The Trixagida? are intermediate between the two 

 families in this respect. 



The Tritomidse of America consist of two subfamilies which differ 

 greatly from each other in general habitus, and are sufficiently defined 

 by the following characters : — 



Anterior coxa? large and convexo-prominent, the cavities widely open behind ; bases 

 of the prothorax and elytra equal in width, the scutellum well developed ; sides 

 of the prothorax defined by a thin acute edge ; hind coxce narrowly separated. 



Tritomin^e. 



Anterior coxa; small and more deep-set, oblong-oval, the cavities broadly closed 

 behind ; base of the prothorax much narrower than that of the elytra, its lateral 

 edges obtuse and not acutely defined ; scutellum small ; hind coxa; rather widely 

 separated Myrmechixenin.*:. 



The latter of these is represented by a single isolated genus com- 

 mon to Europe and America. 



Tritomin.e. 

 The body is oblong-oval, convex or moderately depressed and 

 always clothed with coarse and sparse pubescence. The four American 

 genera before me may be separated by the following primary 

 characters : — 



Basal angles of the prothorax well defined 2 



Basal angles broadly rounded ; body very minute , 5 



2 — Epipleurae horizontal and flat 3 



Epipleurae concave and rapidly descending externally 4 



3 — Eyes transverse, sinuate anteriorly Tritoma 



Eyes more rounded, not sinuate Typhaea 



*The anterior tarsi are said to be 4-jointed in both sexes in the Myrmechixenimv, 

 but my four examples seem to be females and I cannot, therefore, confirm this. 



