128 CURCULKXNIDJE. 



[LeConte. 



the tip, and tolerably strongly mucronate. The side pieces of the metas- 

 ternum are narrower than in Phytonomus and are strongly produced in- 

 wards at the front part. In some of the species I have observed curious 

 sexual characters in the ventral segments, but in others no difference is 

 seen. The metasternum is long, and the species, so far as I know, are 

 winged. 



The anal segment of the ^ is frequently so convex as to project behind 

 the last ventral, so as to become visible from beneath. There is an elon- 

 gated surface on the inside of the elytra, extending along the margin, for 

 the apical fourth of the length, which is perhaps a stridulating plate. I 

 have found a somewhat similar arrangement in other genera, but the full 

 investigation of the subject must be deferred to another time. 



The relations of the antennal joints enable the species to be arranged in 

 two groups : 



A. Funiculus of antennse slender, third joint somewhat longer than the 

 fourth ; second joint twice or thrice as long as the first. 



Sub-apical callus of the elytra very prominent 2. 



less prominent 4. 



" not prominent 5. 



2. Beak carinate and silicate 3. 



Beak nearly cylindrical; lateral grooves obsolete 3. tuberosus. 



3. Elytra with darker oblique mark 1. obliquus. 



" uniform dirty brow r n. 2. sordidus. 



4. Humeri rounded, base of elytra feebly emar- 



ginate 4. squamiger. 



Humeri oblique, base of elytra deeply emargi- 



nate 5. callosus. 



5. Elytra obliquely declivous behind 6. 



compressed and vertical behind 8. americanus. 



6. Humerirounded 6. insequalipennis. 



" oblique 7. caudatus. 



Sides of prothorax strongly rounded 9. rotundicollis. 



B. Funiculus of antennse less slender, third and following joints 

 rounded, equal, second joint nearly three times as long as the first ; poste- 

 rior callus of elytra feeble. 



Head clothed with hair-like scales ; beak slightly 



flattened above, more or less cariiiate and 



sulcate 2. 



Head clothed with rounded scales 9. 



2. Prothorax distinctly longer than wide 3. 



" not " " " 6. 



3. Scales of prothorax smaller than those of 



elytra 4. 



Scales of prothorax larger than those of elytra 1O. appendiculatus. 



