acute at tip; the mesosternum is consequently narrowly divided; the suture separating it from the metasternum is distinct; the antennal pores are placed in fovea at the extremity of the inferior margin of the joints; the front is not lobed before the antennæ. But two genera, both diffused over our whole territory, are found in our fauna:

Mentum coriaceous in front; prothorax sinuate at base.
Mentum entirely corneous; prothorax truncate at base.

MELANOPHILA.

ANTHAXIA.

The sculpture of Anthaxia is peculiar, consisting on the head and thorax of shallow punctures, with the intervening lines forming a fine network.

Group IV.-Chrysobothres.

This is the first of the groups in which the antennæ are inserted at the inner extremity of two short oblique grooves, by which the front is narrowed; before these grooves it again is widened, and the anterior margin is emarginate in an angular form, so as to produce a bilobed appearance. The mentum is corneous at base, membranous at apex; the prosternum is acutely angulated on the sides behind the coxæ, and is also acute at tip; the mesosternum is larger than usual, and only narrowly divided; the scutellum, small in all the preceding groups, is here large and acuminate; each elytron is rounded or subangulated at base, and enters the base of the thorax, which thus becomes lobed. The anterior femora in our species are strongly toothed; the membranous lobes of the first and second joints of the tarsi are obsolete.

The species are of a rather broad and usually flattened form, with the elytra impressed in the form of bands or spots, sometimes of a brilliant metallic color; the sexual differences are in the form of the anterior or middle tibiæ, and in the tip of the abdomen. The species of Chrysobothris are numerous, found in our entire territory, and many of them closely allied; Actenodes is found on the Atlantic slope, from New York to Texas. We have now but two species in our fauna; but as the genus is well represented in Mexico, other species may be expected to occur in Texas.* Third joint of tarsi truncate; hind tarsi with the first joint elongated. CHRYSOBOTHRIS.

*Motschulsky (Bull. Mosc., 1859, II, 184) has described Belionota californica. The other species of the genus known inhabit the East Indies and Madagascar. It is distinguished from Actenodes by the scutellum being large, and the metasternum deeply emarginate.

Third joint of tarsi much prolonged at the side; hind tarsi with the first and second joints equal; scutellum small.

Tribe II.-THRINCOPYGINI.

ACTENODES.

This tribe contains but a single genus, Thrincopyge Lec., with two species from New Mexico; the general form is elongate and depressed.

The front is not contracted by the insertion of the antennæ; the mandibles are short, thick, and obtuse; the mentum is entirely corneous; the antennal pores are situated in small marginal foveæ. The scutellum is distinct. The prosternum is broad, with the sutures oblique; the sides are not angulated behind the coxæ, and the tip is obtusely rounded, fitting into the emarginate mesosternum; the mesosternal suture is distinct. The hind coxæ are just as in the preceding tribe, dilated inwards, with the anterior margin straight, the posterior oblique; the epimera of the metathorax are triangular, not covered at all by the abdomen. The last ventral segment has a deep groove running around the sides and tip. The tarsi are broad; the ungues simple and distant.

Tribe III.-JULODINI.

The species of this tribe are convex, and of a conical form, narrowed behind, rarely cylindrical or very elongated; nearly all are clothed with erect hair. The front is not contracted by the insertion of the antennæ; the mentum is entirely corneous; the antennal pores are diffused in the foreign genus Julodis, but contained in marginal foveæ in our genera. The thorax is truncate at base, and closely applied to the elytra. The prosternum is broad, with the sutures oblique; the sides are not angulated behind the coxæ, and the tip is obtusely rounded. The mesosternum is deeply emarginate, rarely divided; the mesosternal suture sometimes distinct, sometimes obsolete. The hind coxæ are narrow, not dilated internally; the anterior margin is straight or slightly concave, the hind one scarcely oblique; externally they are slightly wider than at the middle, and the usual prolongation of the abdomen, which limits them, is covered by the elytra. The epimera of the metathorax are triangular and small, but not covered by the abdomen. The first joint of the hind tarsi is elongated in our genera; the claws are either simple or toothed.

Our four genera belong to the group Acmæoderæ, and might be considered as types of as many sub-groups.

Hind coxa with the anterior margin somewhat concave; side pieces of metathorax not covered; scutellum visible; claws simple. POLYCESTA. Hind coxæ with the anterior margin straight;

Claws with a broad basal tooth;

Scutellum indistinct; side pieces of metathorax partly visible.

ACMEODERA. Scutellum visible; side pieces of metathorax covered by the elytra.

PTOSIMA.

Claws simple; scutellum visible; side pieces of metathorax visible. CHRYSOPHANA.

Polycesta and Acmæodera are found on both sides of the continent, Ptosima in the Atlantic States, and Chrysophana in Oregon; the last genus is entirely glabrous above, the others are clothed more or less densely with erect hair.

Tribe IV.-HAPLOSTETHINI.

This tribe contains but a single species from the Atlantic States, Haplostethus subcyaneus Lec., and is the smallest Buprestide known. The form is cylindrical, and resembles somewhat certain Acmæodera; the color is bluish black.

The antennæ are inserted in cavities narrowing the front, which does not expand again anteriorly, as in the next tribe; the mouth is small, deflexed, but not applied to the prosternum; the mentum is entirely corneous. The prothorax is truncate at base, closely applied to the elytra. The prosternum is broad, truncate before and behind, with the lateral sutures parallel. The mesosternum is not visible; the metasternum is broadly truncate in front, and applied to the prosternum; the epimera of the metasternum are triangular, not covered by the abdomen. The hind coxæ are not dilated inwards, slightly broader outwards, and extend to the elytra; the anterior margin is slightly concave, the hind one not oblique. The legs are not contractile; the claws are broadly toothed.

Tribe V.-AGRILINI.

In this tribe the body is usually slender, sometimes, however, very broad and flat; in both cases it is narrowed behind. The species are found on leaves and flowers.

The front is strongly narrowed by the insertion of the antennæ,

and is then expanded again, forming two diverging lobes; the anterior part of the head is vertical; the mouth inferior, and applied to the prosternum in repose; the mentum is large, triangular, and corneous. The prothorax is lobed at the base, receiving the convex bases of the elytra. The prosternum is broad in front, with oblique sutures, cuneate behind, and scarcely angulated behind the coxæ; the mesosternum is small, completely and frequently widely divided; the metathoracic epimera are small, and frequently not visible. The hind coxæ are but slightly dilated internally, narrowest at the middle, and broader externally, with the anterior margin more or less concave, and the hind margin not oblique. The legs are contractile, and the claws are strongly toothed, or even cleft, except in Taphrocerus, where they are connate at base, and simple.

Two groups exist in our fauna, as follows:

Antennæ free.

Antennæ received in grooves.

Group I.-Agrili.

AGRILI. BRACHES.

The body is always elongated; the prosternum is pointed behind; the anterior and middle coxæ are separated by about the same distance; the anterior margin of the hind coxæ is very distinctly concave, and the prolongation of the abdomen reaches, but does not extend along, the side pieces of the metathorax; there are no grooves on the under surface of the prothorax, for the reception of the antennæ; the tarsi are long or moderate; the scutellum is transverse and acuminate in our genera, which are but two in number: Agrilus is generally diffused; Coræbus is represented by but one species, C. cogitans, in the Atlantic States.

Hind tarsi with first joint scarcely elongated.
Hind tarsi with first joint as long as the three following.

Group II.-Braches.

CORÆBUS.
AGRILUS.

I formerly considered this as identical with the European group Traches, but the characters are sufficient to warrant its being placed as distinct. The body is rarely elongated, usually broad and ovate; the middle coxæ are a little more distant than the anterior ones, and the mesosternum is very widely divided; the prosternum is very variable in form; the anterior margin of the

hind coxæ is but slightly concave, and the prolongation of the abdomen extends a short distance along the side pieces of the metathorax; the sides of the prothorax beneath are deeply grooved near the margin, for the reception of the antennæ; the legs are very contractile, the tibiæ usually sulcate for the reception of the tarsi, which are very short; the scutellum is triangular. Three of the four forms, which, following the example of Lacordaire, I considered as groups of species, have been regarded by others as genera, and may be distinguished as follows:

Body elongate; scutellum small; prosternum pointed behind.

TAPHROCERUS. Body ovate; scutellum small; prosternum obtuse behind; tibiæ linear.

BRACHYS.

Body triangular; scutellum large; prosternum very broad, almost truncate behind; tibiæ dilated.

METONIUS.

FAM. XXXIV.-THROSCIDAE.

Mentum small, narrowed in front; ligula membranous, not prominent; palpi short, 3 jointed.

Maxillæ exposed at the base, with two lobes, inner one very small; palpi 4-jointed.

Antennæ inserted on the front, received in grooves extending along the inferior margin of the prothorax, 11-jointed; sometimes serrate, sometimes with a loose serrate 3-jointed

club.

Head immersed in the thorax to the eyes, which are ellip tical; mouth inferior, applied to the prosternum; mandibles small; labrum prominent.

Prothorax with the side pieces not separate, deeply sulcate along the sternal suture, for the reception of the antennæ; coxal cavities small, open behind, being completed by the mesosternum; prosternum with an anterior rounded lobe protecting the mouth, prolonged behind into a flat process received in the mesosternum.

Mesosternum short, excavated in the middle for the prosternum, completing on each side the anterior coxal cavities; side pieces very transverse, attaining the coxæ.

Metasternum with the side pieces very narrow.

Elytra entirely covering the abdomen; epipleuræ distinct. Abdomen with five ventral segments, not connate, though closely connected.