PREFACE. . 



Coleoptera of America north of Mexico, 1874), be placed in 

 the Clavicom series, those and allied families being placed in 

 the following succession : J)ermestid(e, Endortiychidue^ Cioidce, 

 Erotylldve, Atomariidce, Cucujidce, Colydiidce, Rhizopliayidce t 

 Trogositidce, Nitidulidce, Coccinellidce, Cistelidce, etc. At the 

 end of the series the succession of families is as follows. 

 Cerambycidce, JBruchidce, Chrysomdidce, Tenebrioniclce, ^E</i<i- 



litidce, Alleculidce, Pyrochroidce, Anthicidce^ 



Melandryidce, JMordellidce, Stylopidce, Meloidcv, Cephaloidce, 

 (Edemeridoe, Mycteridce, Pythidce, Curcitlionidce, Scolytidce y 

 and Anthribidce, Jirenthidce being the last. 



Since the publication of the last edition of this work, our 

 knowledge of American fossil insects has been much extended. 

 Mr. Scudder has described ten more species from the carboni- 

 ferous strata of Nova Scotia and Pennsylvania, some of them 

 of peculiar interest, thus increasing the number of known 

 palaeozoic forms to thirty-two. The carboniferous insect- 

 fauna of America is now so well known that we may note a 

 close affinity between it and that of Europe at the same 

 epoch. Tertiary localities exceedingly rich in fossil insects 

 have been discovered in new parts of the West ; more than 

 one hundred species have already been described by Mr. 

 Scudder from Eastern and Western Colorado, Wyoming, and 

 British Columbia, bxit these are a mere fragment of what have 

 been found. Among those described are many of an interest- 

 ing character, especially a wonderfully preserved butterfly 

 (Prodryas Persephone) and egg masses of a huge Neuropteron 

 allied to Corydalus, together with others which indicate a 

 partially tropical fauna at that time. Of post-tertiary insects, 

 Dr. Horn has described ten beetles from a bone cave in 

 Pennsylvania, and Mr. Scudder two from the interglacial 

 clays of Ontario. 



A. S. PACKARD, JB. 



PROVIDENCE, K. I., December, 1882. 



