218 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



male, a character seemingly of more importance in this 

 genus than the carination of the prosternum and the 

 form of the mesosternal lamina; they should therefore 

 be placed together instead of at opposite ends of the 

 genus as at present. 



15. Creniphilus elegans, sp. nov. 



Oblong-oval, slightly broader behind, not very convex, black, shining, 

 without aeneous lustre, sides of thorax narrowly pale, elytra with a rather 

 abrupt pale border which is wider behind. Punctuation distinct, but fine 

 and rather sparse, a little stronger on the elytra. Antennae seven-jointed, 

 testaceous; clubpiceous: Femora piceous; trochanters, knees, tibiae, and 

 tarsi testaceous. Hind femora almost impunctate and without trace of 

 strigosity; all the tarsi subequal in length to their respective tibiae; claws 

 slender, simple. Prosternum carinate, the carina obtusely prominent in 

 front; mesosternal keel long, strongly protuberant. Abdomen densely 

 punctate, subopaque. 



Length, 2-2.8 mm. 



Described from five examples taken by the writer in a 

 salt lake at Redondo. Specimens collected by Mr. 

 Hubbard in the salt springs at Salton, on the Colorado 

 Desert, have recently been seen. 



The difficulty of counting the intermediate joints of 

 the antennae in this genus is well known; nevertheless 

 I am confident of the correctness of the statement 

 above made; and if this is so, C. elegans agrees in an- 

 tennal structure with C. degener only; and may, it 

 seems, best precede that species in Horn's table. There 

 is no possibility of confusing it with any other species 

 of Creniphilus occurring in the same region. Of these, 

 C. infuscatus has the hind femora punctate and pubes- 

 cent; C. rufiventris has both pro- and mesosternum 

 simple; and C. subcupreus is shorter, more convex, more 

 coarsely punctate, and with shorter front tarsi. 



In C. subcupreus the front claw joint is stouter and 

 toothed beneath in the male, and apparently more con- 

 spicuously so in Californian than in eastern specimens. 



