AmerigAna 



VOL. III. 



BROOKLYN, NOVEMBER, 1887. 



NO. 



NOTES ON LACHNOSTERNA. 



By George H. Horn, M. D. 



There is probably no genus of Scarabaeidae in our fauna about which 

 so little is known by the numerous collectors in our country as Lachno- 

 Sterna. This too in face of the fact that the species are for the most pari 

 of large size and abundant whenever found. Unfortunately there are no 

 striking differences between the species which arrest the first glance. A 

 few seem to have met easy recognition and are correctly named in every 

 series examined such as crenulata, hirsuta, hirtnula, micans, trislis and 

 fusca although several species are often mixed under the latter name. 



It is not surprising that attention has not been given to the species 

 as the literature at present available does not give great assistance, and in 

 my own case there was almost equal difficulty in arriving at a correct de- 

 termination of the species with the types for comparison along with the 

 literature. 



Lachnosterna is certainly one of the most difficult genera in our fau- 

 na and the correct determination of the species has been rendered uncer- 

 tain by the large proportion described from uniques. 



For more than twenty years I have had in mind a careful study ol 



nus and have allowed no opportunity to escape that would add to 



the material on hand and many a time in the slow accumulation my 



Lachnosterna boxes have served as a relaxation when other work has 



lensome. 



While on a visit to the Museum at Cambridge during the past Sum- 

 mi i 1 had an opportunity through the kindness of the Curator, to com- 

 ries from my own cabinet with the types of Dr. LeConte. 

 With this as a basis it became necessary to go over the works of previous 

 authors to verify the determinations and eliminate error as far as p< ssible. 



Enti •• eui \na. Vol. tn. 2u Novembke 1887. 



