66 R. W. Dawson 



forms probably occur in the state. Both as larvae and adults 

 the species are dung feeders. To provide food for the larvae 

 pellets of characteristic size and shape for the species are 

 molded by the parent beetles and buried w^ith an egg on each. 

 Canthon laevis, our common, large tumble-bug makes spher- 

 ical balls nearly an inch in diameter which one often sees 

 them rolling in the pastures and road-sides. Judging from a 

 few specimens at hand nigricornis forms egg-shaped pellets, 

 and praticola rather narrow, elongate ones. 



1817. Hoffmansegg: "Entomologische Bemerkungen uber 



amerikanishe Insecten ," Wiedem. Mag. i, pt. i, p. 38. 



1859. Le Conte: "Coleoptera of Kansas and Eastern New Mexico." 



Smithson. Cont. Knowl., xi, pp. 1-58. (Table for 12 species.) 



1868. Harold: "Monographie der Gattung Canthon," Berl. Ent. 



Zeitschr., xii, pp. 1-144. (Table for 97 species.) 

 1870. Horn: "Notes on some Genera of Coprophagus Scarabae- 

 idae of the United States," Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc, iii, pp. 

 42-51. (Revision, and table for 15 species.) 

 1885. Blanchard: "On the species of Canthon and Phanaeus of 

 the United States with notes on other genera," Trans. Amer. 

 Ent. Soc, xii, pp. 163-172. (Revision, and table for 15 

 species.) 

 1910. Blatchley: Coleoptera of Indiana, pp. 912-915. (Descriptive 



notes and table for 9 species). 

 1915. Schaeffer: "New Coleoptera and Miscellaneous Notes," 

 Journ. N. Y. Ent. Soc, xxiii, pp. 47-55. (Two new varieties). 



SYNOPSIS OF THE SPECIES 



1. Hind tibiae with two spurs nigricornis 



Hind tibiae with one spur 2 



2. Hind femora margined in front; size large, 12-18 mm 7 



Hind femora not margined in front, size moderate to small, 12 

 mm. or less 3 



3. Sides of prothorax beneath transversely excavated anteriorly 

 for the reception of the femora viridis 



Sides of prothorax beneath not transversely excavated 4 



4. Subhumeral stria anteriorly, finely carinated 5 



Subhumeral stria not carinated anteriorly 6 



172 



