fortunately, no person has thought proper to follow up the observations of DeGeer upon the subcutaneous larvæ of the European alder and elm, and consequently the history of these interesting insects remains imperfect.

ART. X.-DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW NORTH AMERICAN COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS, AND OBSERVATIONS ON SOME ALREADY DESCRIBED. By THOMAS SAY. Com. municated Feb. 1835.

In this number, we present to our readers a part of the hitherto unpublished entomological papers of the late Thomas Say. This distinguished and lamented American naturalist was engaged in preparing them for publication in the Boston Journal of Natural History when his labors were prematurely arrested by the disease which proved fatal to him, on the tenth of October, 1834. In justice to his memory, it becomes our duty, without delay, to publish these posthumous papers, and thereby to secure to his names, as far as possible, the right of priority.

These papers consist of descriptions of new American Coleopterous and Hymenopterous insects, and remarks upon some already described. The Hymenoptera will appear in our next number. (Pub. Com.)

BRACHINUS, Weber.

B. álternans? Dej. A specimen occurred near New Orleans, which, so far as I have been able to compare

the characters, nearly corresponds with this species; but as the head is deficient in the specimen, I cannot determine positively; and, furthermore, the circumstance of the 2d and 4th elytral costæ not being obviously elevated, leads to a doubt.

SANDALUS, Knoch.

1. S. petrophya, Knoch. I observed this insect, frequently, on the flowers of a resinous plant common in the prairies of Missouri.

2. S.? brúnneus. Blackish-brown; antennæ sericeousbrown; thorax with two indentations on the disk. Inhabits Indiana.

Body blackish-brown, punctured, oblong: head with small punctures, rather prominent between the antennæ, above which it is somewhat indented: antenna as long as the thorax or rather longer, brown sericeous: thorax with small punctures, anterior and posterior angles dentiform; disk with a small orbicular indentation each side. behind the middle, and an irregular one on the basal middle; posterior margin each side of the middle a little concave: scutel orbicular: elytra with numerous somewhat large punctures, not in striæ, with four slightly elevated lines or nervures, the inner one abbreviated before the tip, the others confluent near the tips.

Length from two fifths to three fifths of an inch.

This insect approaches, in character, nearer to Sándalus than to any other genus. In that genus the mandibles are remarkably falcate, and the tooth is on the inner side, towards the base; they are also covered to the middle by a membrane or coriaceous process; the tibiæ are quadrilateral and denticulate, and the tarsi beneath, are

clothed with very dense hairs. In our insect the conformation of the antennæ is the same as in the female of Sándalus, excepting that they are much more elongated; the mandibles are less prominent, and have the tooth on the superior side near the tip, which is therefore emarginate, or rather bifid, and are destitute of any membranous covering at base; the tibiæ are not quadrangular, the tarsi are simple beneath, and the mentum is somewhat transversely oval, with a robust dentiform process before. It can be separated under the name of ZENOA.

I have found it under the bark of decaying trees. Vid. Gen. ANALESTES, Leach, or CEBRIO. Probably C. bicolor, but it does not appear to agree with Fabricius's description.

LYCUS, Fabr.

1. L. modéstus. Black; Thorax fulvous, with a black disk.

Inhab. Ohio.

Body black, opake: antenna, second joint minute, nearly half the size of the third: mandibles? rufous: palpi, terminal joint rather oval than securiform: thorax broader than long, as wide as the base of the elytra, reddish-fulvous, with a black disk extending to the base, disk a little convex, without any carinate line, each side a little concave, lateral edge nearly rectilinear, the posterior angles not excurved, and not very acute at tip, anterior edge regularly arcuated: elytra black, with elevated, longitudinal lines, and in the intervening spaces are numerous transverse, elevated lines, and a small longitudinal one; wings black, tinged with rufous on the costal base.

The insect was lost before the measure of its length was taken.

2. L. obliquus. Black; margin of the thorax and basal margin of the elytra fulvous.

Inhab. Mexico.

Body rather slender, black; antenna compressed, serrate: palpi white, terminal joint black: thorax with a wide lateral fulvous margin and an elevated fulvous line in the middle, posterior angles rather prominent and acute; elytra with elevated longitudinal lines and transverse ones in the intervening spaces, forming large subquadrate punctures; a dilated fulvous margin at base, occupying the surface to the sutural stria, before the middle becoming narrower until it terminates on the costal edge beyond the middle: coxa white.

Length seven twentieths of an inch.

Allied to dimidiàtus, Fabr. but the antennæ are not flabellate.

3. L. canaliculatus. Black; thorax with a yellowish margin and an impressed line on the basal margin.

Inhab. Missouri.

Mandibles pale; antenna serrate, third joint rather shorter than the fourth; thorax yellowish-rufous, a large, black, subquadrate spot on the disk, anterior edge very prominently arcuated; basal margin with an abbreviated impressed longitudinal groove: elytra with elevated longitudinal lines and intermediate transverse ones. Length one fourth of an inch.

OMALISUS, Geoffr. F.

1. O. marginéllus, Fabr. (Lycus) Syst. Eleuth. Inhab. Pennsylvania; Massachusetts, Harris.

2. O. coccinatus. Sanguineous; head and beneath black.

Inhab. Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Body sanguineous; head black; mandibles pale reddish; thorax darker than the elytra, its depressions dusky; two longitudinal elevated lines, distant in the middle, and meeting on the anterior and posterior edges of the thorax, enclosing a rhomboidal space; from their middle an elevated line proceeds to the lateral edge; the margin elevated: scutel blackish: elytra with four elevated lines; interstitial spaces with a longitudinal slightly elevated line, and transverse ones about the distance of their own length from each other; wings blackish: beneath black.

Length over two fifths of an inch.

3. O. mundus. Bright sanguineous; antennæ black. Inhab. Indiana.

Body entirely bright sanguineous: antennæ, excepting the three basal joints, black: eyes black: thorax with two longitudinal elevated lines, distant in the middle and meeting before the anterior and posterior edges of the thorax, enclosing a rhomboidal space; from their middle an elevated line passes to the lateral edge, and an elevated abbreviated line on the posterior submargin: elytra with four elevated lines; interstitial spaces with a longitudinal, very slightly elevated line, and transverse ones, about the distance of their own length apart; venter black tarsi dusky.

:

Length one fourth of an inch.

Much like the preceding, but is only half as large, and its colors are differently arranged.

4. O. humeralis, F. (Lycus.) Syst. Eleuth.