H. C. FALL. 93 



DYSCHIRIUS Bon. 



E>. varidens n. sp. 



Moderately elongate, black, with more or less distinct green-bronze 

 lustre, legs and antennse dark rufous. Epistoma tridentate, the mid- 

 dle tooth either nearly as acute and prominent as the lateral ones, or 

 merely an obtuse prominence, with all intermediate degrees of develop- 

 ment. Front transversely sulcate, smooth. Prothorax ovate, very 

 slightly wider than the prothorax, § as wide as long, sides parallel and 

 very broadly arcuate in basal two-thirds, base with entire marginal line ; 

 strias very lightly impressed, nearly obsolete for a short distance at 

 base, and faint but traceable for a longer distance at apex ; strial punc- 

 tures rather fine, separated by their own diameters or a little more, be- 

 coming rapidly finer behind the middle, and disappearing before the 

 apex; third interval tripunctate. Length, 2.7-3 mm.; width about 1 

 mm. 



California (Los Angeles — type, Pasadena, Azusa, Pomona, 

 Santa Cruz, Santa Clara County, San Francisco, Humboldt 

 County, Mohawk). 



By the basal marginal line of the elytra this species is to 

 be associated with tridentata, patruelis and basalts, and should 

 follow the first named species. It is always smaller than 

 tridentata, with paler legs and antennae, and with finer elytral 

 striae, which are more nearly obliterated at apex and less 

 punctured. Patruelis has entirely black legs and antennae, 

 and the median clypeal tooth is obsolete. Specimens of 

 varidens with poorly developed median clypeal tooth would 

 go as ayialis by the LeConte table, but the latter is a stouter 

 species, the elytra shorter and more robust, with deeper more 

 closely punctate striae. 



BEMBIDIUM Lat. 

 In his preliminary remarks on the litorale group of this 

 genus Hay ward describes the mentum tooth as "large and 

 entire." Possibly this statement is traditional; it is in any 

 case based on very insufficient study, since a careful investi- 

 gation reveals an unusual and most surprising amount of 

 variation in this respect among the few species that consti- 

 tute the group. The form of the tooth is quite constant 

 within specific limits, so far as my material goes, and taken 

 together with a second character to be mentioned below 



TRANS. AM. ENT. SOC, XXXVI. MAY, 1910. 



