796 
ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW YORK 
OAK. TRUNK. 
born, among the individuals in the bark of the same tree, considerable 
diversities in size and markings may be noticed. And the beetles found 
in this situation have their colors so much brighter and their spots and 
bands so much more distinct and clearly defined, that I supposed them to 
be a different species from fasciatus for several years, and until specimens 
came to hand'showing a gradual transition from these to the older indi¬ 
viduals which we usually capture abroad, and meet with preserved in cabi¬ 
nets, in which the colors have become faded and dim and the marks obscuro 
and partially obliterated. In the shape of some of its parts, also, different 
specimens are liable to vary. And I cannot persuade myself that the 
species named pusillus by Kirby is really distinct from the one under con¬ 
sideration. Dr. Lc Conte supposes it may be distinguished by its smaller 
size, and by the spine on each side of its thorax being smaller and perfectly 
straight on its hind side, instead of concave. But in the smallest speci¬ 
men in my collection, measuring but 0.35, this spine is about as prominent 
as in any of the larger ones, and its hind margin is straight, as it is also 
in several other examples, one of which is 0.58 in length. This form of 
the spine, therefore, is not peculiar to the smaller sized specimens. More¬ 
over, in one instance before me, this margin is wavy instead of straight, 
and in several others it is straight nearly to its outer end, where it sud¬ 
denly curves outward by reason of the tip of the spine being slightly pro¬ 
longed or attenuated; whilst in other cases still, this margin is regularly 
concave or curved through its whole length. We thus, in different speci¬ 
mens, meet with a regular gradation from the straight margined spines of 
pusillus to the concave of J'aciatus ) as these species arc distinguished by 
Dr. Le Conte ; showing that no such difference as has been supposed, really 
exists in nature. And we therefore regard the pusillus of Kirby as being 
merely a dwarf variety of this species. 
304. Oak Lciorus, Leiopus Querci, new species. (Colcoptcra. Ccrambycidm.) 
A very small long-horned beetle, which I am unable to refer to any of 
the described species, I am assured lives at the expense of the red 
and white oak, from meeting with it upon those trees standing apart from 
others in fields. As the larvae of kindred species burrow in the bark 
of trees, this will probably bo found in the same situation in oaks. The 
beetle is met with upon the leaves of these trees early in July. It is very 
closely related to the Facetious Leiopus, No. 286. 
It is 0.20 long, and black with ash-gray wing-covers, which are punctured nnd marked 
with a large black spot on the base of their suturo in the form of a cross, nnd a broad black 
band slightly back of their middle, which is angulatod, somewhat rosembling an inverted 
letter IV, this band often having a small nsh-grny spot placed in it near its outer ends. For¬ 
ward of this band are two black dots or short lines on each wing-cover, nnd sometimes a 
third dot back of it. There is also a dusky spot, usually, on the tips of the wing-oovors, and 
their deflected outer margin is black. The wing-covers nro rounded at their tips. The thorax 
sometimes shows threo faint gray stripes above. It is narrowed anteriorly, and on each side 
slightly forward of the base is a short, broad, sharp-pointed spino, from the tip of which, for- 
