268 AMERICAN COLEOPTERA. 



are slight and consist only of the spur-like process at apex of mid- 

 dle and hind tibise of the males of Gonops, a character which I 

 have not seen in any of the species of Toxotrojns, but which is said 

 to be present in the Central and South American species, included 

 in the genus Ormiscus by Dr. Jordan, in some of which only the 

 middle tibiae are armed with a short spur. Our Gonops Jisstinguis 

 would therefore only be congeneric with the Central and South 

 American species placed in Ormiscus. The males of Toxotropis as 

 above stated have no spur-like processes on the middle and hind 

 tibise, but I do not think this character is important enough to keep 

 this genus distinct. For the present I think it better to retain 

 Toxotropis for those species having no spur like process at apex of 

 hind and middle tibise in the males, till our species have been 

 studied and compared with the Central and South American species. 



Eusphyrus also cannot, in my opinion, be retained as distinct 

 from Toxotropis. The position of the basal carina, as already re 

 marked by Dr. Jordan,* is variable ; quercus and eusphyroides, de- 

 scribed below, connect the two genera, especially the latter species, 

 which, if the thorax is kept in correct position, arouses some doubt 

 as to its position, and may be equally well placed in Eusphyrus, 

 though the carina is not quite basal. 



Our species of all these genera do not entirely agree with the de- 

 scription of Ormiscus by Lacordaire, but some of the Central and 

 South American species may bridge over the differences, in which 

 case the species of Exisphyrus have also to be placed in Ormiscus, or 

 if the tibial spurs are thought to be of generic importance, Toxotro- 

 pis has to be retained with Eusphyrus as synonym, but, as already 

 stated, I do not think that the presence or absence of these spurs is 

 of generic importance. 



Typical Tropideres are said not to occur in America, but bimacu- 

 latus is given in the catalogue under Tropideres, while recttts is 

 doubtfully placed with others, which are said either to belong in 

 3Ionoclmus, Goniocloeus or Homockeus. Bimaculatus, if not a true 

 Tropideres, would be best placed in Monocloeus, though the ante- 

 basal carina is distinctly curved forward at sides, not quite extend- 

 ing to the middle ; rectus does not seem to agree with any of the 

 proposed genera, and if the characters hold good, used for the sepa- 

 ration of these apparently closely allied genera, a new genus will 

 be necessary for this species. 



* Novitates Zoologicae, vol. xi, p. 286. 



