470 Coleopterological Notices, VII. 



Catalinus is represented by a single species peculiar to the Pa- 

 cific coast fauna. Scydmsenus is abundant in species and dis- 

 tributed about equally over both slopes of the continent. 



The European Neuraphes is closely allied to Scydmsenus, but 

 differs in having the fovese at the base of the elytra spongiose and 

 not nude, and therefore forms a transition to the Cephenniini. 

 The long carinse at the sides of the prothorax toward base also 

 form a character which leads onward to the acute thoracic mar- 

 gins of Cephennium. Although Neuraphes therefore, is the most 

 obvious bond between Cephennium and the Scydmsenidse subuli- 

 palpi, there are many profound differences, especially in the 

 head and in the hind coxae, as well as in the entire facies of the 

 body. 



SCYDM^NIJS Latr. 



Among the genera common to Europe and North America, 

 Scydmsenus is the only one, except Cephennium, which so far as 

 known, is distributed throughout the United States ; it is well 

 represented in the Atlantic regions, and, on the Pacific coast, 

 forms one of the most prominent types of the family. It can be 

 distinguished at once from any of the Euconnini by certain gen- 

 eral habital features, such as the smaller prothorax more dilated 

 anteriorly and more elliptical and convex elytra. 



The head is always narrower than the prothorax, with the cly- 

 peus large, simple and truncate at apex, more or less dilated and 

 subangulate at the sides and separated from the front by a short 

 transverse sulcus, the neck wide and the nuchal constriction 

 moderate in depth, the occiput not having the deep vertical base 

 so general in the Euconnini. The eyes are at most median in 

 position, generally subbasal, and vary much in size, becoming 

 large and extremely prominent in Brach3'cepsis. The maxillary 

 palpi are well developed, with the second joint slender, bent and 

 clavate at apex, the third elongate, obconic, with rounded sides 

 and the fourth distinct though slender and very finely aciculate, 

 being occasionally more than half as long as the third. The an- 

 tennse are incrassate but never have a pronounced club, although 

 the three outer joints sometimes constitute a feeble club, and, in 

 one species of Brachycepsis, the five outer joints may be imagined 

 to have same status. 



The prothorax is always dilated anteriorly, narrowed toward 



