524 Coleopterological Notices, V. 



Smaller species, seldom more than If mm. in length. 



Elytra not paler at apex, except feebly and gradually from diapha- 

 neity siifiiialis 



Elytra with a broad and rather distinctly defined pale apical margin. 

 Larger, more broadly oval, the metasternum strongly punctured 



toward base teiininata. 



Small, narrowly oval, the metasternum minutely and scarcely 



visibly punctured eTaiiescens 



Body pale rufo-testaceous throughout rilbens 



Mes-epimera very small, sometimes completely undefined, and the suture ob- 

 literated ; species generally smaller, occasionally minute. 

 Coxal plate of the first ventral segment shorter, not extending to the middle ; 

 body more than I mm. in length. 



Body pale rufo-testaceous throughout rufllla 



Body black, the elytra! apex sometimes narrowly pale. 



Elytra finely but visibly punctate almost to the basal margin. 



Basal stria of the elytra extending outward beyond the middle of 



each ; larger species desei'tonim 



Basal stria extremely abbreviated, scarcely extending at all beyond 

 the outward flexure of the sutural stria ; size much smaller. 



inconspicua 



Elytra impunctate, except occasionally very obsoletely and indefinitely 



near the apex. 



Posterior elevated margin of the intermediate acetabula strongly 



rounded behind, extending posteriorly for more than one-fourth of 



the distance between the middle and hind coxse oliesilla 



Posterior marginal plate shorter and more broadly rounded. 



Post-coxal plate bordered by a transverse series of small but deep 

 punctures ; fourth antennal joint much shorter than the fifth, 

 three times as long as wide ; met-episterna wide, narrowed ante- 

 riorly carolinae 



Post-coxal plate without a distinct marginal line of punctures ; 

 fourth antennal joint longer and much more slender, fully four 

 times as long as wide ; met-episterna narrower, parallel ; body 

 slightly narrower, the elytra longer and the prothorax shorter. 



arkansaiia 

 Coxal plate of the first ventral large, extending to the middle of the seg- 

 ment ; body 1 mm. or less in length piisilla^ 



1 The gender usually adopted for such words as Scaphisoma, Tyloderma 

 and others, is the neuter, on the ground that the gender of the word in the 

 Greek is neuter. It is evident, however, that as soon as a word is taken into 

 the binomial nomenclature as the symbol of a genus, it immediately and by 

 virtue thereof becomes Latin, whatever may be its derivation. As a genus in 

 the binomial nomenclature, Scaphisoma is therefore a Latin word and should 

 be given a gender corresponding with its Latin termination. It is manifestly 



