1853.] 287 
The form of the body is very similar to that of Hister ; it is glabrous, elliptical, 
and moderately convex; the elytra are truncate, so as @ expose the Jast dorsal 
segment; the male has an additional small anal segment. The anterior tibie are 
more dilated than the others; their outer margin is finely serrulate, and the outer 
angle somewhat produced; the terminal spurs are unequal, the larger ones 
slightly bent; the prosternum is dilated and rounded posteriorly ; the middle coxz 
are distant. The first ventral segment is larger than the others. 
By this detail of the characters, this genus will appear obviously different 
from any described by Erichson in his systematic arrangement of Nitidularie, 
(Germar’s Zeitschr. 4, 267 et seq.) 3 it seems to USER aeeen most closely Ischena, 
(p- 287,) and Ipidia (p- 289.) 
P. histrina, elliptica, modice convexa, nigro-picea, nitida, capite thorace- 
que parce punctulatis, punctis maioribus intermixtis, elytris striis 9 punctatis 
Be pea interstitiis parce subtilissime punctulatis, pygidio punctato. 
ong. °21. ; 
Pennsylvania, in fungi, Dr. Melsheimer and Mr. Ziegler. The thorax is nar- 
rowed in front, emarginate at the apex, with the anterior angles not rounded ; 
the sides are broadly rounded, finely and strongly margined; the base is broadly 
rounded, with a broad, short and truncate lobe in front of the scutel; the latter 
is large, triangular and sparsely punctured. The strie of the elytra are entire, 
and the 9th is slightly sinuous; the apex is truncate and has a few confused 
punctures at the termination of the strie; the punctures of the pygidium are 
moderately large and shallow. The under surface is punctured; the epipleure 
are concave and punctured. The base of the antennz is feebly rufo-piceous. 
[ Note. The manuscript of the “Synopsis of Scaphidilia” by Dr. 
Le Conte, having been mislaid, its publication must be deferred. | 
The Committee on the following paper by Dr. Le Conte, reported 
in favor of publication in the Proceedings. 
Synopsis of the species of the Histeroid genus Anrmus (Leach,) inhabiting the 
United States, with descriptions of two nearly allied new genera. 
By Joun L. Le Contre, M.D. 
The number of species of Abreus found within our territory, renders the 
genus quite worthy of a special notice; as they are all very smal] and uniform 
in appearance, they present at first a moderate degree of difficulty in determin- 
ing their characters. This difficulty, however, vanishes under a closer inspec- 
tion, which shows the species to be as well defined as in other genera of the same 
family. For the more complete illustration of the genus, I have added descrip- 
tions of two species from Cuba; these being foreign to our present limits, are 
not numbered in the following list. 
Two species, which I considered as belonging to this genus, on close examin- 
ation present characters altogether different. I have accordingly constructed a 
new genus for them, which must be placed in a different division of the family, 
near Dendrophilus.. To avoid confusion, however, as the species will undoubt- 
edly be mistaken by others for Abrzus, I have thought it better to append the 
generic and specific description to the present essay. 
Erichson has divided the six species known to him, into two groups. The 
first contains globular species, with very short estriate prosternum, with no 
lateral stria on the elytra, and with the pygidium inflexed, so as to form part of 
the ventral surface of the abdomen. Of this group there is but one species 
known to me in this country. 
The second group has the prosternum bistriate, the elytra with a lateral stria 
44 
