310 
panied by a hook; the hook consisting of punctures which often become confluent, 
extending obliquely forwards toward the sutural stria and forming a short but dis- 
tinct sixth dorsal stria ; apical line feeble at the suture. Epipleune smooth, without 
stria?. Prosternum strongly convex but aot carinate, nearly smooth; stria? entire, 
diverging, ascending, becoming horizontal and entering a deep but narrow fovea, 
thence converging and uniting on the anterior margin of the prosternum. Propygi- 
diuni and pygidium with rather dense, shallow punctures, the latter without mar- 
ginal groove and on the indexed, apical portion with a smooth median line which, 
in some specimens, is slightly elevated. Mesosternum finely punctate. Metaster- 
num nearly smooth at middle, coarsely punctate behind and on the sides. Front 
tibiae with six or seven stout teeth, each armed with a spine: middle and hind 
tibiae biseriately spinulose : the hind tiba at apex as wide as in the middle. 
Length 3 to 3.8 mm . 
Numerous specimens taken from gopher holes. Crescent City, Fla. 
The curious apical hook which accompanies the fifth dorsal is very 
variable and often obsolete or represented by a line of scattered punc- 
tures. In many specimens the curve of the hook is obliterated, the 
remaining portion appearing as a stria supplementary to the fifth dor- 
sal. When strongly impressed and complete it is seen to be discon- 
nected from the fifth stria as is shown at a in the accompanying outline 
sketch. (Fig. 19.) 
The complete striatum together with the smoothness of the elytra 
give to this species the appearance of a Hister rather than a Saprinus. 
I am greatly indebted to Dr. George H. Horn for having my atten- 
tion called to the j)eculiar structure of the tarsal claws, and it is by his 
advice that a new genus has been established upon this species. 
Copris gopheri n. sp. 
Oblong-oval, black, shining. Head and thorax sparsely and finely punctulate. 
(Typeus acutely not deeply eniarginate, feebly sinuate on either side of the notch. 
Gena? rectangular. Thorax declivous in front and without prominences. Elytra! 
stria? shallow, obsoletely punctured, interspaces smooth. 
Color black, varying to chestnut brown, many 
specimens failing to reach full maturity of the 
chitine. Surface highly polished, shining. Head 
minutely punctured, larger obsolete punctures 
occurring around the margin; clypeal ernargination 
acute, moderately deep, the dentation on either side 
indicated by feeble sinuations; horn of the vertex 
stouterthan in C. minutus andhavingupon its pos- 
terior margin a minute protuberance : in a few speci- 
mens the horn is reduced to an acute tubercle. 
Eyes above narrow, about twice as long as wide. 
Thorax with the declivity m front moderately 
abrupt, not vertical, without protuberance in either 
sex, at most slightly sinuate on each side; upper 
surface sparsely and obsoletely punctulate with 
denser and deeper punctures at the anterior angles ; 
sublateral impression rounded, moderately deep ; 
median channel more or less obsolete. Elytra 
with eight rather fine striae; the eighth stria extending from near the humerus to 
the middle of the elytra, indistinctly punctured, the other stria? distinctly punctured, 
?Vfc 
Fig. 20. — Copris gopheri n. sp. — 
enlarged (original). 
