922 



FAMILY L. — SCARAB EIRE. 



base as thorax, the striae rather deep, with moderately fine, not crenate, 

 punctures ; intervals flat, smooth. Spurs of hind tibiae short, broadly ex- 

 panded, obtuse at tip. their margin translucent. Length 3.5-4.5 mm. 



Lake. Vigo and Posey counties ; frequent along the beach of 

 Lake Michigan; scarce in the other counties. April 25-May 24. 

 Occurs most frequently in sandy places near water, beneath dung 

 or rubbish. 



VII. Psammodius Gyll. 1825. (Gr., "sand + through.") 



In this genus the mandibles are hidden beneath the clypeus and 

 semimembranous, the base and tooth horn-like; head granulated, 

 deflexed. with the eyes hidden in repose ; thorax transversely 

 grooved and coarsely punctate ; legs never very stout; joints of hind 

 tarsi flattened, the first elongate triangular, the last very short and 

 small. One species was described from Indiana, and another per- 

 haps occurs. 



KEY TO INDIANA SPECIES OF PSAMMODIUS. 



a. Disk of thorax with transverse grooves; elytral intervals with a row 

 of faint flattened tubercles ; length 3.5 mm. 1740. interrtjpttts. 

 aa. Dish of thorax coarsely, irregularly and sparsely punctate; intervals 

 smooth ; length 2-2.5 mm. nanus. 



1740 (5475). Psammodius ixterruptus Say, Bost. Journ. Nat. Hist., I, 

 1S35, 178 ; ibid. II. 651. 



Oblong, nearly parallel, moderately convex. Thorax piceous; head and 

 elytra brown : under surface and legs reddish-brown. Head rather closely 

 granulate ; clypeus broadly triangularly emarginate. Thorax one-half wider 

 than long, margin crenulate. hind angles obtuse; disk convex, with four in- 

 distinct transverse ridges : the first entire, the others interrupted by a 

 rather broad and deep median depression. Elytra as wide as thorax, the 

 strige indistinctly punctured ; intervals flat, with inner side feebly crenulate 

 and outer side with a row of indistinct, elongate flattened tubercles. Length 

 3.5 mm. 



Described from Posey County. Horn says it " occurs in the 

 Middle States. Dakota and Texas, but rare." Not represented in 

 the collection at hand. 



P. nanus DeGL brownish, head and thorax piceous, legs pale, is 

 known from Massachusetts, Michigan and westward. 



VIII. Pleurophorus Muls. 1842. (Gr., "the side + bearing.") 



This genus is not well defined. In the "Classification" when 

 but one species was considered it was separated by having the 

 "head roughly granulate or verrucose; thorax transversely grooved. 



