﻿228 
  LB 
  CONTE.— 
  SYNOPSIS 
  OF 
  T1IF. 
  

  

  apex, 
  and 
  a 
  faint 
  fovea 
  near 
  the 
  side 
  at 
  the 
  middle 
  ; 
  the 
  anterior 
  angles 
  are 
  acute. 
  

   The 
  oral 
  organs, 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  antenna? 
  are 
  also 
  provided 
  with 
  

   long 
  hairs. 
  

  

  ■6 
  

  

  2. 
  MELOLONTHiE. 
  

  

  This 
  group 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  others 
  by 
  the 
  combination 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  characters 
  : 
  

   five 
  ventral 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  abdomen 
  are 
  connate, 
  with 
  nearly 
  effaced 
  sutures, 
  the 
  

   6th 
  is 
  distinct 
  and 
  rounded 
  ; 
  the 
  parapleural 
  of 
  the 
  metathorax 
  are 
  broad 
  and 
  their 
  

   epimera 
  are 
  large. 
  

  

  The 
  latter 
  important 
  character 
  was 
  first 
  observed 
  by 
  Lacordaire, 
  (Gen. 
  Col. 
  3, 
  292), 
  

   but 
  has 
  been 
  overlooked 
  by 
  Burmeister, 
  who 
  distributes 
  the 
  contents 
  into 
  two 
  groups, 
  

   Leucopholida? 
  having 
  the 
  third 
  joint 
  of 
  the 
  antenna; 
  short, 
  and 
  Polyphyllida? 
  having 
  

   the 
  same 
  joint 
  elongated. 
  The 
  new 
  genus 
  Thyce, 
  while 
  important 
  as 
  being 
  the 
  

   second 
  generic 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  group 
  on 
  this 
  continent, 
  is 
  still 
  more 
  important, 
  

   as 
  showing 
  the 
  greater 
  correctness 
  of 
  the 
  view 
  taken 
  by 
  Lacordaire, 
  since 
  with 
  the 
  

   habit 
  and 
  structure 
  of 
  head 
  and 
  feet 
  of 
  Polyphylla, 
  it 
  combines 
  the 
  antenna? 
  of 
  Leu- 
  

   copholis. 
  

  

  Additional 
  characters 
  common 
  to 
  our 
  two 
  genera, 
  but 
  which, 
  though 
  apparently 
  

   of 
  importance, 
  are 
  not 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  generic 
  descriptions 
  of 
  Burmeister, 
  are, 
  that 
  

   the 
  middle 
  tibia?, 
  instead 
  of 
  being 
  surrounded 
  externally 
  by 
  two 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  developed 
  

   crowns 
  of 
  spines, 
  (as 
  in 
  all 
  Rhizotrogida?), 
  are 
  acutely 
  bidentate 
  ; 
  the 
  posterior 
  tibia? 
  

   of 
  Polyphylla 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  ones 
  ; 
  in 
  Thyce 
  the 
  inferior 
  prominence 
  is 
  

   transverse 
  ; 
  the 
  suture 
  between 
  the 
  fifth 
  ventral 
  segment 
  and 
  the 
  propygidium 
  is 
  dis- 
  

   tinct, 
  angulated 
  at 
  the 
  middle, 
  with 
  the 
  stigma 
  placed 
  exactly 
  upon 
  the 
  angle 
  ; 
  the 
  

   thorax 
  is 
  not 
  margined 
  anteriorly, 
  and 
  is 
  ciliate 
  with 
  short 
  bristles. 
  

  

  Our 
  two 
  genera 
  are 
  very 
  distinct, 
  and 
  may 
  be 
  thus 
  known 
  : 
  

  

  Antcnnarum 
  articulo 
  oio 
  lcmgiore, 
  clava 
  polyphylla 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  . 
  Polyphylla 
  Harris. 
  

   Antennarum 
  articulo 
  3io 
  haud 
  longiore, 
  clava 
  parva 
  (?) 
  triphylla 
  . 
  Thyce 
  Lee. 
  

  

  Polyphylla 
  Harris. 
  

   A. 
  Tibia? 
  maris 
  antica? 
  fortiter 
  tridentata?. 
  

  

  1. 
  P. 
  Hammoncli, 
  oblonga, 
  fusca, 
  supra 
  parce 
  albo-squarnosa, 
  thorace 
  brcvi 
  lateribus 
  oblique 
  rotundatis, 
  

   antrorsuni 
  angustato, 
  canaliculate, 
  trivittato, 
  margine 
  postico 
  longe 
  cornato, 
  elytris 
  parce 
  punctatis, 
  

   sutura 
  anguste, 
  vittaque 
  brcvi 
  basali 
  densius 
  albo-squamulosis, 
  ano, 
  antennis 
  pedibusque 
  fcrrugincis. 
  

   Long. 
  -82— 
  1-0. 
  

  

  Two 
  males 
  found 
  at 
  Fort 
  Riley, 
  Kansas, 
  by 
  Dr. 
  Wm. 
  A. 
  Hammond, 
  U. 
  S. 
  A. 
  to 
  

   whom 
  I 
  owe 
  my 
  most 
  grateful 
  acknowlegements 
  for 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  complete 
  series 
  

   of 
  the 
  Coleoptera 
  of 
  that 
  region. 
  

  

  Body 
  oblong, 
  somewhat 
  cylindrical, 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  shining, 
  above 
  very 
  sparsely 
  

  

  