June igoo.] 



PSYCHE. 



65 



is not to be expected that anything very 

 definite can be determined regarding 

 their specific, generic, or even group 

 positions At first glance it seemed a 

 hopeless task to even approximate an 

 opinion which wouhl have any value. 

 Yet, with a certain faniiliarit)' coming 

 from a special study of existing forms, 

 it is remarkable what one of these little 

 dark spots and fragmentary impressions 

 in the rocks will reveal. The outlined 

 form, distorted as it may be, suggests 

 a possible affinity. A peculiar arrange- 

 ment of elevations (representing punc- 

 tures or depressions in the prothorax 

 or elytra), and depressions, repre- 

 senting in n like manner elevations, 

 give a clue to some general charac- 

 ters; obscure lines become distinct 

 and represent the position of sutures, 

 and the comparative length of seg- 

 ments ; faint symmetrical depressions 

 indicate the form of the eyes ; finer 

 details, as punctures, rugosities, striae, 

 and interspaces become more and more 

 distinct, and we are reminded of similar 

 characters in existing forms. After 

 measuring, magnifying, sketching, and 

 comparing, tiie perfect form is resur- 

 rected in our mind, and we have a 

 basis upon which to form an approxi- 

 mate hypothesis of the position the in- 

 dividual would hold among the living 

 descendants of the primitive division it 

 represents. 



The results of my studies of the five 

 specimens of fossil beetles, including 

 the types of your Dryocoetes carbo- 

 narins^ Dryocoetes /'mpressus, and 

 Jiyhsimis extracftis, may be indicated 

 as follows : 



No. 3999. Dryocoetes carbonarius 

 Scndd. Type: fi'om " Crossing Green 

 Riv. Un. Pac. R. R." This seems to 

 me not to belong to Dryocoetes, but to 

 represent an extinct genus of doubtful 

 group or even familj' position, although 

 it appeals to come closer to the Scoly- 

 tidae than to the Curculionidae or 

 Ptinidae, to both of which there is some 

 suggestion of affinitv. 



The absence of antennae, legs, ab- 

 dominal segments, and the tip of the 

 elytra leave only the evident double or 

 divided eye, the longitudinal rugosities 

 and punctures of the protljorax, the 

 faintly defined punctures of the elytra, 

 and tiie obscurely outlined form, to 

 suggest its family, group, or generic 

 position. 



The longitudinal rugosities of the 

 thorax suggests an affinity to some 

 Bothrosterni (Cnesinus), while the di- 

 vided eyes would place it in either 

 Hylesinides near Polygraphus, or Cor- 

 thylides near Trypodendron (Xylo- 

 terus) . This combination of characters 

 would certainly exclude it from any 

 Scolytid genus known to me. 



No. 44 (1531S) Dryocoetes impres- 

 siis Scudd., Trypodctidron impressiis, 

 (Type) , and the attending series, 

 4048, 4009, under the same name, and 

 all from " Ciossing Green River, U. P. 

 R. R., Wyoming," evidently represent 

 one species, which is distinct from, and 

 apparently allied to the preceding. 



The longitudinal rugosities of the 

 prothorax are much stronger and the 

 punctures of the elytra, striae, and inter- 

 spaces (represented by elevations) are 

 of equal size, much more distinct, and 



