630 BOSTON JOURNAL 



[From Boston Journal of Natural History, Vol. 1, No. 2, May, 1835, pp. 



151-203.] 



Descriptions of new North American COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS, and 

 Observations on some already described. 



Communicated Feb. 1835. 



In this number we present to our readers a part of the hither- 

 to unpublished entoiuological papers of the late Thomas Say. 

 This distinguished and lamented American naturalist was en- 

 gaged in preparing them for publication in the Boston Journal 

 of Natural History, when his labors were prematurely arrested 

 by the disease which proved fatal to him, on the tenth of Octo- 

 ber, 1834. In justice to his memory, it becomes our duty, with- 

 out delay, to publish these posthumous papers, and thereby to 

 seeui'e to his names, as far as possible, the right of priority. 



These papers consist of descriptions of New American Coleop- 

 terous and Ilymenopterous insects, and remarks upon some al- 

 ready described. The Hymenoptera will appear in our next 

 number. — Pub. Committee. . • 



BRACHINUS Weber. 

 B. ALTERNANS ? Dej. — A specimen occurred near New Or- 

 leans, which, so far as I have been able to compare [152] the 

 characters, nearly corresponds with this species ; but as the head 

 is deficient in the specimen, I cannot determine positively ', and, 

 furthermore, the circumstance of the second and fourth elytral 

 costse not being obviously elevated, leads to a doubt. 



SANDALUS Knoch. 

 1. S. PETROPHYA Knoch. — I observed this insect, frequently, 

 on the flowers of a resinous plant common in the prairies of Mis- 

 souri. 



[Vol. T. 



