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comprise this section (A", carinula/us, sparsus d^nd plagialus) are readily 

 distinguished and live under bark of pine trees. They constitute a series 

 which is strikingly parallel with that formed by the European Tomicus 

 chalcographus, bidens and 4-dentatus, and since Mr. Kichhoff (Europ. 

 Borkenkafer, p. 23). states that the first of these occurs also in North 

 America, he probably refers to our P. sparsus. However, a comparison 

 of specimens is necessary to establish the identity. The second section 

 in which the elytral declivity is alike in both sexes comprises numerous^ 

 species, mostly living on Conifers, and which are e.Klremely difficult 

 to distinguish. To one of those with nearly regularly punctate- 

 striate elytra (probably P. hir/iceps) belongs Fitch's Tomicus minutis- 

 simus. 



Xyloterus bivittatus. Mr. Eichhoff (I.e., p. 299) cites this as 

 a synonym of the European A'. /w^a/«j Oliv,, and I think that he is 

 right. His X. vittiger (I.e., p. 298), described from California, is un- 

 doubtedly only a color variety of the same species. 



Xyleborus pyri. The male still remains unknown, but from 

 analogy with the European A', dispar 1 strongly suspect that the species 

 described by Leconte as obesus will prove to be the male o'i pyri. 



Xyleborus retusicollis. I have seen a female of this rare species 

 in Mr. Ulke's collection. It agrees with the male in size and sculpture 

 of the elytra but has the thorax anteriorly slightly flattened and not ex- 

 cavated , 



Xyleborus xylographus Say. Under this name Dr. Fitch in 

 his 4th Report, p. 30, describes a Scolytid boring under the bark of 

 pine. His description is not cited by Zimmermann nor by Leconte, 

 but his very careful article on the life habits of the species is copied by 

 Dr. Packard in his Bull. 7, U.S.E. Comm., p. 163. A glance at Fitch's 

 description plainly shows that he was mistaken in the identification of 

 -the species and that he had before him what is now known as X. coehliis 

 Eichh. Moreover xylographus belongs to a group of species which do 

 not live under bark, but enter the solid wood. X. Saxeseni Ratz. is said 

 by Eichhoff (I.e., p. 280) to occur in North America ad this could 

 only be identical with xylographus. Say's name however would have 

 priority. 



Xyleborus pubescens. Among a large colony of this beetle 

 which I found boring into Pifius imps near Washington, 1 discovered 

 two specimens of the male. It is only one-third the size of the largest 

 female, the elytral striae are finer, the tubercles at the declivity smaller, 

 the thorax much shorter, not longer than wide, anteriorly much more 

 suddenly rounded and distinctly depressed. The difference in general 

 appearance between the two sexes is very striking. 



