Coleopterological Notices, V. 413 



Pelecomalium also differs from Amphichroum in a singular palpal 

 character, the sexual nature of which I did not notice until shortly 

 after my original description appeared, and which lead to the assign- 

 ment of the two sexes of modestum to different genera. In the male 

 the fourth palpal joint is strongly securiform, while in the female it 

 is slender, slightly compressed and gradually somewhat obliquely 

 narrowed to the apex, where it is very narrowly but obliquely 

 truncate. In Amphichroum there are no discoverable sexual differ- 

 ences in the palpi, the last joint of which is stouter toward base 

 and prolonged slender and cylindrical toward apex, differing no- 

 ticeably from the form characterizing either sex of Pelecomalium. 



To Amphichroum there are but two described North American 

 species assignable at present, viz. : niaculatum Lee. (Stachy- 

 graphis) which is quite homologous with canaliculatum, and 

 Jlor'ibundum Lee. {=fiavicorne Csy. $ ), which is slightly aber- 

 rant in sculpture and in its much longer and more slender maxil- 

 lary palpi, agreeing however otherwise. I have in my cabinet a 

 female taken at Lake Tahoe in June, which differs from the male 

 of maculatum, as figured by Dr. Horn, in its broader form, much 

 shorter and wider prothorax and uniformly flavate elytra ; there 

 is no way of proving its identity, but in view of the limited 

 number of specific forms assignable to Amphichroum in both con- 

 tinents, and of the fact that in fiorihundum and some species of 

 Pelecomalium the female is notably paler as well as broader than 

 the male, I think there can be little doubt that it is the female of 

 maculatum. 



The species are rather closely allied among themselves but may 

 possibly be identified by the following tabular statement : — 



Paiictures of the elytra more or less sparse, never extremely dense. 

 Species of the Pacific coast fauna. 



Larger, not less than 4 mm. in length ; pronotum more or less alutaceous 



and subimpunctate. 



Prothorax transverse, fully one-half wider than long in the male ; body 



llavate, immaculate, the head and abdomen blackish. ..testaceillll 



Prothorax subquadrate, scarcely one-third wider than long in the male, 



testaceous, the head and abdomen black ; elytra each with a large 



elongate discal spot of black beyond the middle 'binotatllltl 



Smaller, always much less than 4 mm. in length. 



Elytra extremely sparsely and obsoletely punctulate, the punctures 

 scarcely distinguishable ; surface throughout highly polished. 



sparsum 



