﻿OF 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  4 
  1 
  1 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  presternum 
  docs 
  not 
  reach 
  the 
  anterior 
  angles 
  of 
  the 
  thorax, 
  but 
  is 
  continued 
  di- 
  

   rectly 
  to 
  the 
  apexal 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  inflexed 
  portion. 
  

  

  The 
  mandibles, 
  although 
  short, 
  trigonal, 
  and 
  without 
  any 
  tooth, 
  are 
  more 
  prominent 
  

   than 
  in 
  the 
  genuine 
  Eucnemides: 
  the 
  anterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  sinus 
  for 
  the 
  antennae 
  is 
  very 
  

   distinct, 
  and 
  even 
  elevated, 
  but 
  the 
  posterior 
  margin 
  is 
  obliterated 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  genera 
  

   (Tharops.) 
  The 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  presternum 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  abut 
  against 
  the 
  mandibles, 
  

   so 
  as 
  to 
  enclose 
  and 
  protect 
  the 
  mouth 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  two 
  other 
  divisions 
  of 
  the 
  Eucnemides: 
  

   the 
  gula 
  is 
  corneous, 
  and 
  extends 
  as 
  far 
  back 
  as 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  which, 
  though 
  de- 
  

   flexed, 
  is 
  really 
  inserted 
  by 
  a 
  narrow 
  neck: 
  the 
  anterior 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  presternum 
  is 
  fur- 
  

   nished 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  inflexed 
  membranous 
  portion, 
  abutting 
  against 
  the 
  gula, 
  and 
  supported 
  

   by 
  two 
  corneous 
  pillars. 
  I 
  have 
  very 
  great 
  doubts 
  whether 
  this 
  division 
  should 
  be 
  in- 
  

   cluded 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  family, 
  but 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  discovered 
  any 
  other 
  place 
  for 
  it, 
  it 
  

   must 
  remain 
  for 
  the 
  present. 
  

  

  Melasis 
  Oliv. 
  

  

  - 
  1. 
  M. 
  pectinicornis, 
  nigro-piceus, 
  cylindricus, 
  tenuiter 
  fulvo-pubescens, 
  capite 
  confertim 
  punc- 
  

   tata, 
  subcanaliculato, 
  thorace 
  latitudine 
  breviore 
  muricato, 
  latcribus 
  omnino 
  rectis, 
  postice 
  angustato, 
  

   angulis 
  anticis 
  porrectis, 
  posticis 
  acutis 
  parvis 
  prominulis, 
  elytris 
  confertim 
  scabris 
  distincte 
  striatis, 
  

   pedibus 
  antennisque 
  rufesccntibus, 
  bis 
  articulis 
  2 
  — 
  6 
  sensim 
  paulo 
  latioribus, 
  7 
  — 
  11 
  valde 
  transversia 
  

   intus 
  productis. 
  Long. 
  '26 
  — 
  "32. 
  

  

  Melsheimer, 
  Proceed. 
  Acad. 
  Nat. 
  Sc. 
  2, 
  148. 
  

  

  Pennsylvania, 
  Dr. 
  Melsheimer; 
  Ohio, 
  Dr. 
  Schaum. 
  This 
  genus 
  is 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  

   from 
  the 
  next 
  by 
  the 
  broad 
  and 
  compressed 
  legs: 
  in 
  our 
  species 
  the 
  second 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  

   antennae 
  is 
  nearly 
  as 
  large 
  as 
  the 
  third. 
  The 
  abdomen 
  has 
  an 
  obtuse 
  elevated 
  compressed 
  

   tubercle 
  at 
  the 
  apex. 
  The 
  clypeus 
  is 
  slightly 
  emarginate 
  at 
  tip, 
  and 
  the 
  small 
  labrum 
  is 
  

   thus 
  rendered 
  visible. 
  

  

  Closely 
  allied 
  to 
  this, 
  but 
  evidently 
  a 
  different 
  species, 
  and 
  possibly 
  even 
  a 
  new 
  genus, 
  

   is 
  the 
  following, 
  which 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  found 
  since 
  its 
  description 
  by 
  Say. 
  

  

  Eucnemjs 
  quadricollis, 
  "Body 
  piceous 
  black 
  with 
  yellowish 
  hairs: 
  head 
  with 
  crowded 
  large 
  

   punctures, 
  longitudinally 
  confluent 
  on 
  the 
  vertex: 
  antennae 
  rather 
  distant 
  at 
  base, 
  not 
  seated 
  in 
  ap- 
  

   proximated 
  sinusus, 
  but 
  under 
  frontal 
  elevations: 
  second 
  joint 
  more 
  robust 
  than 
  the 
  third, 
  and 
  

   equally 
  long: 
  fourth 
  joint 
  rather 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  third: 
  remaining 
  joints 
  obconic 
  subequal, 
  the 
  last 
  a 
  

   little 
  longer: 
  palpi 
  terminal 
  joint 
  oval: 
  thorax 
  transverse 
  quadrate 
  with 
  punctures 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   head, 
  but 
  not 
  much 
  confluent: 
  anterior 
  angles 
  rounded: 
  lateral 
  edges 
  nearly 
  parallel, 
  very 
  slightly 
  

   contracted 
  towards 
  the 
  posterior 
  angles, 
  which 
  are 
  nearly 
  rectangular, 
  a 
  little 
  acute, 
  not 
  continued 
  

   backward 
  beyond 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  : 
  elytra 
  with 
  punctured 
  striae, 
  and 
  minutely 
  punctured 
  intersti- 
  

   tial 
  lines: 
  pectus 
  with 
  less 
  crowded 
  punctures 
  than 
  the 
  thorax, 
  middle 
  segment 
  very 
  broad: 
  no 
  

   groove: 
  feet 
  like 
  all 
  beneath 
  dark 
  piceous: 
  tarsi 
  a 
  little 
  paler. 
  Length 
  over 
  one 
  fourth 
  of 
  an 
  inch." 
  

   Indiana. 
  (Say, 
  Trans. 
  Am. 
  Phil. 
  Soc. 
  6, 
  186.) 
  

  

  Tharops 
  Lap. 
  

   1. 
  T. 
  ruficornis 
  niger, 
  tenuiter 
  pubescens, 
  capita 
  thoraceque 
  scabro-punctatis, 
  hoc 
  quadrato, 
  

   latcribus 
  fere 
  rectis, 
  angulis 
  posticis 
  acutis, 
  linea 
  dorsali 
  pone 
  medium 
  acute 
  impressa, 
  elytris 
  scabro- 
  

  

  