Memoirs on the coleoptera

252
MEMOIRS ON THE COLEOPTERA
raised lines, so constantly present
in Priomis. The hind tarsi are
very much shorter than in that genus, and the basal joint beneath is
not channeled but broadly concave and loosely pubescent throughout
its extent. The lateral teeth and glabrous surface of the prothorax
are as in Priomis, and the anterior tooth is no more prone to become
extinct than in such forms as Priomis kempi, curticornis and brun-
neus, for example. Our two known species may be distinguished
as follows:
Color black, the legs and antennae also deep black; surface convex, only
moderately shining; head moderate though larger than in the following
species, narrowed at base, the eyes moderate, rather convex,
separated by three-fifths their width; antennae (cf ) extending slightly
beyond the middle of the elytra, only moderately thick, the last
joint much compressed, as long as the preceding and a little narrower,
evenly oval, narrowed at base, twice as long as wide; last maxillary
palpal joint two-fifths longer than the preceding; prothorax scarcely
more than twice as wide as long, notably convex, more shining than
the elytra, finely, rather sparsely but deeply punctate, more closely
but only a little more coarsely toward the sides, the anterior and
middle teeth acute and rather well developed, the latter slightly
the more prominent, the basal angles right, rather blunt, not prominent;
scutellum moderate, rather obtuse; elytra one-half longer
than wide, fully a third wider than the prothorax, the sides notably
converging and barely at all arcuate from base to the obtusely
rounded apex, not dehiscent, finely, feebly and sparsely punctate
and feebly, irregularly rugulose, the raised lines feeble; sterna con-
spicuously pubescent; abdomen picescent, slightly pubescent
basally; tarsi short, notably broad. Length (cf) 26.5 mm.; width
10.8 mm. New Mexico (Albuquerque). [Prionits palparis Say,
Journ. Ac. Phila., Ill, p. 327] palparis Say
Color evenly red-brown, moderately convex, rather shining throughout;
legs concolorous, the antennas paler and more ochraceous; head
moderately small, the tempora parallel and feebly, evenly arcuate,
fully as wide across the middle of the latter as across the eyes, which
are notably small, transverse, feebly convex and separated by one-
half more than their own width; palpi slender, pale, the last joint
fully one-half longer than the preceding; antennae (cf ) but moder-
ately thick, feebly diminishing and only very moderately compressed
distally, extending three-fifths from the elytral base, the last joint
very evenly oval, obliquely narrowed basally, its faces even and
convex, twice as long as wide, about as long as the preceding;
angles and edges of all the joints obtuse and rounded; prothorax
evidently more than twice as wide as long, moderately convex,
glabrous, punctured sparsely but rather strongly as in palparis,
the surface tumescent on the median line at apex, and with the
oblique arcuate sublateral impression and tumidity behind the
middle distinct; median teeth well developed, acute and spiniform,