226 H. C. FALL. 



I have not seen Guerin's description of this genus, but that of 

 Lacordaire, while it succeeds in missing nearly all the characters 

 that are of any use for comparative purposes, does state explicitly 

 that the antennae are 10-jointed, and it is therefore difficult to under- 

 stand why LeConte, should have applied the name to a species with 

 11-jointed antennae. In C. tabaci, the type of the genus, the elytra 

 are devoid of the subniarginal striae, which are so frequently pres- 

 ent in the species of the genus, and the presence of these stria' in 

 all the species then known to LeConte, except the one {simplex), 

 which he refers to Catorama, is doubtless largely responsible for the 

 erection of his genus Hemiptychus. This probability is further 

 strengthed by the fact that of the species described in later years, 

 all having subniarginal striae were placed in Hemiptychus, while 

 those in which the striae were wanting were referred to Gutorama, 

 without regard to the number of antenna! joints. I have not been 

 able to obtain an example of C. tabaci, but a specimen of the doubt- 

 less congeneric palmarum Chev. has been sent me by M. Pic and 

 confirms the opinion previously entertained that Hemiptychus is 

 synonymous with Catorama. Species of this genus may always be 

 at once recognized by the peculiar intercoxal hook, an absolutely 

 unique structure, and may further be distinguished from all near 

 allies by the 10-jointed antennae. 



A careful study of much of the material which has for years been 

 accumulating in most of the larger collections in this country shows 

 that the genus is widely dispersed throughout the warmer portions 

 of the temperate and the tropical regions of America, and that the 

 number of species in our own fauna is surprisingly great. The spe- 

 cies are almost completely unnameable with existing literature, and 

 few collectors have ventured to do more than write "Hemiptychus 

 sp.'* under their specimens. A complete solution of the problems 

 of relationship even within our own fauna! limits is bound to prove 

 immensely difficult; indeed the labor already expended in working 

 over the thousand or more specimens at hand has been very great, 

 months having been given almost exclusively to the study of this 

 one crenus. The results are of course not final, but it is hoped that 

 they will prove of real value to the future student. In attempting 

 to subdivide our numerous species into groups, the presence or 

 absence of the subniarginal elytra! striae is naturally the first point 

 of departure. Following this, the striatum or sulcation of the outer 



