I 
threshing operations, especially if car- j 
ried on while a breeze is blowing, . 
tend greatly to disseminate the spores J 
of this fungus and assist its increase. 
Geiwsally speaking the oat crop seems 
to suffer moY'pahan t lie wheat. 
A NEW BEETLE. 
The number of species of animals 
and plants is so great, that it becomes 
a matter of great difficulty often to 
ascertain whether or not a species has 
been described and named. Mistakes 
occur every day, in which pteviously 
described species are re-named in ig- 
norance of the name already given, 
and the synohomy thus created adds 
greatly to the complications of biolog 
ical science. Now according to the 
rnles of scientific nomenclature, names 
published only in a newspaper do not 
hold good, and we therefore deem it 
expedient in the case of apparently 
new species and varieties which are 
discovered from time to time in Colo- 
rado, to f ‘publish the banns” so to 
speak, in the Custer County Cou- 
shouid not be attached to these spe = 
ties in scientific nomenclature,” they 
can be d-4y published in one of the 
specially scientific magazines later on. 
This prefaced, we give the descrip- 
tion of a minute beetle of which two 
specimens were found near Swift Creek 
Custer Co. in the early part of the pres- 
ent year. One of the specimens was 
sent to Prof. C. V. Riley, the U. S. 
Entomologist, who states that the spe- 
cies is undescribed. 
Longitarsus nitidellus, Ckll., n. sp. 
Colour, very dark brown or brown^ 
black; legs, tawny; head, black; eyes, 
large;^inte nn ae, brown, yellowish at 
base, jointed, the terminal joints 
slightly hairy, but not enlarged. 
Thorax nearly smooth, black, shiny, 
about as long as broad. Scutellum 
black, smooth. Abdomen very dark 
brown, the terminal segment hirsute- 
pubescent. Legs \ r ellowish-brown, 
shiny, with short hairs, the posterior 
pair with swollen, dark brown thighs, 
sparsely hirsute with short hairs. 
Elytra dark brown, elongate, with 
nearly parallel sides and blunt apices, 
shiny, thickly but minutely punctured. 
Length 2 millimetres. 
T. D. A. C. 
CUSTER OOUNTY COURANT. 
H 
