618 Goleopterological Notices^ VII. 



tes,but Pilopius differs too radically in abdominal structure to be 

 given a subordinate status. 



The genus Pilopius is widely distributed over the continent of 

 North America, occurring in every part, except the true Pacific 

 coast faunal province, and is rich in species, but as there are but 

 few and slight structural divergencies, the latter are difficult to 

 define. The sexual characters are strongly marked in theantennse 

 and eyes and in the relative size of the elytra and abdomen, but 

 are nearly uniform throughout, and the ventral characters of the 

 male are feeble and practically undiversified. The stiff erect setse 

 bristling along the lower edge of the anterior femora and tro- 

 chanters, are equally developed in both sexes in much the same 

 manner as the distortion of the anterior tibiae of Tmesiphorus ; 

 these setse exist also in the latter genus, but in Cedius are replaced 

 by three long slender spines. 



There seems to be but little doubt that the species of Ctinistini, 

 though much larger in size as a rule, are lower in the scale of or- 

 ganization than the first tribes of the Raffrayan arrangement, 

 such as the Euplectini, this being quite as obvious as in the case 

 of the large and cumbrous Asidinse of the Tenebrionidse, when 

 compared with the more highlj'' organized, or perhaps geologically 

 more recent and corporeally smaller, Thinobatini and other re- 

 lated tribes. 



In the following table of species which seem to warrant defini- 

 tion, all the characters relate to the male alone, except in the case 

 of impressipennis, of which the only known example is a female. 



Small species, always distinctly under 2 mm. in length. 

 Vestiture rather sparse ; last antennal joint as long as the three preceding 

 combined or nearly so. 

 Tenth antennal joint not at all longer than wide ; body stout, the elytra 

 nearly as long as wide ; prothorax rather large and transverse ; species 

 northern in habitat. 

 Antennae only moderately stout toward tip, the sixth joint as long as the 



fifth or somewhat longer lacustris n. sp. 



Antennse very stout toward tip, the sixth joint a little shorter than 



either of those adjoining saginatus n. ap. 



Tenth antennal joint more or less distinctly elongate. 



Median depression of the pronotum extending to or beyond the middle 

 of the disk ; elytra long, with strongly diverging sides, much longer 



than the head and prothorax combined georgiauilS n. sp. 



Median depression never extending as far as the middle of the pronotal 

 disk. 



