204 H. C. FALL. 



or right, hind angles wanting; beneath deeply excavated for the 

 head. Elytra not striate, punctuation confused. Presternum very 

 short before the coxa?, the latter and also the middle coxse contigu- 

 ous ; metasternum rather short, not sulcate, suddenly declivous in 

 front from side to side, the declivity limited by a raised line which 

 does not extend upon the episterna; posterior margin sinuately 

 prominent at middle, the prominence minutely notched ; hind coxal 

 plates gradually wider posteriorly. First ventral segment subequal 

 to the fifth and a little longer at middle than the second ; third and 

 fourth shorter, equal ; first ventral suture finer than the others and 

 broadly arcuate posteriorly, thus narrowing the second segment at 

 middle. Legs rather slender ; tibiae, at least the two anterior, com- 

 pressed and grooved on the outer edge; first tarsal joint equal to the 

 next two or three, fifth joint a little elongate. The tibiae appear to 

 have only a single terminal spur iu the specimens examined, but the 

 spurs are very difficult to see clearly and this observation needs 

 verification. 



Five species are known to me from our fauna, of which the 

 largest is the well known cosmopolitan serricorne, the so called ciga- 

 rette beetle. Our other species are all as yet very rare in collections. 



Metasternum without obliquely transverse raised line posterior to that bordering 

 the anterior declivity. 

 Form more oblong, prothorax four-fifths as long as wide, color entirely piceous. 



1. dermestiiium. 

 Form more oval, prothorax strongly transverse. 

 Size much larger, color rufotestaceous or brownish red, rarely darker. 



2. serricorne. 



Size smaller, piceous, head and thorax rufous 3. bicolor. 



Metasternum with fine obliquely transverse raised line at middle. 



Piceous brown, head, thorax and lower surface rufous 4. semirufuni. 



Entirely rufotestaceous, size somewhat greater 5. heilliptyclioicles. 



1. It. dermestinum Lee— Quite strongly oblong; narrower and more 

 convex than serricorne; color uniformly brownish piceous, antennae and feet 

 paler. Prothorax about four-fifths as wide as long, slightly narrower in front; 

 hind angles indicated but the vertex rounded ; front angles right. Pubescence 

 fine, gray, less developed than in serricorne; surface finely punctulate. the punc- 

 tures sparsely intermixed with slightly larger ones. Length 2.75-3.25 mm. 



Lower California (Cape San Lucas). 



The only specimens seen are those in the collections of LeConte 

 and Ulke, and I know of* no specimens other than those taken many 

 years ago by Xantus. 



