Austin.] 6 [October 25, 



without a more extended series of specimens for comparison. Can., 

 Mass., N. Y., Mich., 111., La. 



3. Sunius calif ornicus. 



This species, of which I have seen only a single specimen from San 

 Jose, Cal. (coll. LeConte), differs from all our other species by being 

 very broad and stout; the head is scarcely longer than wide, the tho- 

 rax almost circular in outline, and the elytra as broad as long. 



4. Sunius prolixus Er., Staph. 639; ductus Say (Paederus), 

 Tr. Am. Phil. Soc, 2d Ser., IV, 457; Say's writings; Ed. Lee, M, 572* 



This is our largest species, and is found over the whole eastern 

 part of the United States and Canada. 



5. Sunius binotatus Say (Psederus), Journ. Acad. Phil., in, 

 154; Say's writings; Ed. Lee, ii, 99 ; Er., Staph., 645. 



This species also has a wide distribution, but is much more rare. 

 Specimens are at hand from C. W., 111., Ohio, Mich., La., and Fla. 



6. Sunius brevipennis. 



This species, which is common in eastern Mass., and is also found 

 in Mich., is closely allied to the preceding; the elytra, however, are 

 a little shorter, and generally without a trace of the black spot, 

 though in one or two specimens there is a faint dusky shade repre- 

 senting it. In this species I have noticed a singular sexual charac- 

 ter which does not seem to occur in any of the others; in the 

 males, only three segments of the abdomen are pale, while in the 

 females four are pale; the same is the case in both sexes of the allied 

 species, except in S. binotatus, where in general only three segments 

 are pale in both sexes. 



7. Sunius longiusculus Mannh. (Paederus), Brachelytra, 

 39, 5; Er. Staph., 643; disconotatus Say (Paederus), Tr. Am. Phil. 

 Soc, 2d ser., iv, 457; Say's writings; Ed. Lee. n, 572. 



This, which is the most abundant species in the Middle and North- 

 ern States and Canada, begins a small series in which the whole 

 insect, except the two terminal segments of the abdomen, is pale. 

 They may be separated most readily by the relative length of the 

 antennas ; in this species they are long and slender, almost filiform, 

 only the last joint being slightly thickened, and joints 8 — 10, longer 

 than wide. The elytra are also long, being nearly a half longer 

 than the thorax. 



8. Sunius centralis Zimm., Ms. 



Of this species I have only seen the single specimen in Dr. 

 LeConte's cabinet, from S. C. The antennas are about a third part 



