212 NEW SPECIES MELYRIDAE, CHRYSOMELIDAE AND TENEBRIONIDAE 



however, have it margined and all degrees exist between the extremes. 

 The mentum presents great variation as regards sculpturing; some speci- 

 mens have the lobes quite deeply concave or impressed with the surface 

 subcarinate in the median line and rather coarsely punctured throughout ; 

 others have the surface feebly convex, not at all impressed, but punctate 

 as indicated above, or more or less glabrous at the apical sinuation. All 

 intermediate degrees are at hand. Punctuation is the only character 

 available for subdividing the species into races. Here the separation is 

 artificial, arbitrary and opinionative. 



In latus the elytral punctures are almost as coarse as are those of the 

 pronotum and the surface lustre is dull. Specimens collected Novem- 

 ber 3, 1916, on the Island of San Clemente are before me. 



Clementinus Casey is only an individual variation, a certain number 

 of specimens can be selected to constitute a group. This phase is identical 

 with latus and the name falls in synonymy. 



In the race insularis Casey the surface is more shining and the elytral 

 punctures are finer, the pronotal punctures are also a little smaller than 

 in latus. The characters presented by this phase gradate into those of 

 latus. 



Infinitimus Casey has not been recognized in the material before me. 

 The habitat is uncertain but Casey believes the type came from the Island 

 of Santa Rosa. A large series of specimens collected by Mr. Van Duzee 

 on this island prove to be a true Coniontis, for the pronotal base is almost 

 truncate from angle to angle, and is described in this paper as santarosae. 

 More work will be done on the anatomy of these forms. 



The specimens collected by Dr. Van Dyke at Los Angeles represent 

 a species which may be described as follows : 



Coniontides vandykei, new species. Form elongate oval, about twice 

 as long as wide, moderately convex ; surface moderately shining. Color 

 black, legs and tarsi, antennae and mouth-parts more or less rufo-piceous. 



Head quite evenly punctate, punctures well defined and not densely 

 placed, rather more numerous anteriorly ; epistomal sinuation shallow and 

 arcuately reentrant. Antennae rather short, about two-thirds the length 

 of the pronotum ; outer joints scarcely wider than the preceding and 

 moderately compressed. 



Pronotum rather more than a third wider at base than long, moder- 

 ately and evenly convex throughout ; sides moderately arcuate, more 

 strongly so anteriorly, apex three-fifths the width of the base, lateral bead 

 rather fine, that of the apex very fine, base not beaded ; disk finely and not 

 very distinctly punctate, punctures rather evenly but not closely placed. 



