American Caraboidea 277 



nearly as in fiiscipennis. This genus is very poorly represented 

 by a single species, and perhaps a few subspecies, in the European 

 fauna. 



Dinodromius n. gen. 



The numerous European species of Dromius, apportioned among 

 a number of subgenera, are notably small, slender insects, the pro- 

 thorax sometimes apparently longer than wide, and, on the ground 

 of habitus at least, the comparatively large, broader American 

 forms allied to piceus, ought to form a different genus, a name for 

 which is suggested above. The bottom of the mental sinus has a 

 rapidly declivous short coriaceous extension, the chitinous edge 

 adjoining having at the middle an excessively short, transverse 

 and deeply emarginate tooth, which is wholly invisible except 

 under high amplification. The palpi are notably stout, the fourth 

 joint rapidly pointed -at tip. The ligula is large and greatly 

 expanded, evenly convex and smooth. The prosternum is notably 

 narrow and strongly convex between the coxae, and the head is 

 broadly rhomboidal, with long converging tempora. 



The species described by LeConte under the name Dromius 

 atriceps, seems to differ greatly from the ofhers, because of its small 

 size and slender outline, and it may be that this is a true Dromius; 

 I have seen no example and therefore cannot allude to it in greater 

 detail. 



The species of Dinodromius at hand are the following : 



Prothorax short and transverse. Piceous, shining, elongate and feebly 

 convex, the head somewhat more dusky; under surface and legs 

 pale, the abdomen a little darker; head not quite as long as wide, 

 with well developed, prominent eyes, the rapidly converging, and 

 feebly, evenly arcuate tempora about as long as the eyes; front 

 smooth, with a few strong longitudinal plicae at the sides, except 

 behind the limits of the eyes; labrum transverse, broadly arcuate 

 at tip; antennae slender, pale, almost half as long as the body; 

 prothorax fully three-fifths wider than long, widest before the 

 middle but with the sides broadly rounded, feebly sinuate at base, 

 broadly reflexed and diaphanous, the basal angles obtuse and 

 rather blunt; base rounded at the sides, wider than the feebly 

 sinuate apex; surface very smooth, with distant transverse rugulse, 

 the impressions obsolete, the median stria fine and feeble; elytra 

 oblong, parallel, very feebly inflated behind, two-thirds longer than 

 wide, nearly one-half wider than the prothorax, transversely trun- 

 cate, with rounded external angle; striae fine, feeble and some- 



