BLEDIUS. 685 
Group OXYTELINA. 
BLEDIUS. 
Bledius, Mannerheim, Brach. p. 44 (1830) ; Erichson, Gen. et Spec. Staph. p. 760; Leconte, Tr. 
Am. Ent. Soc. vi. p. 217. 
This extensive genus contains at present about 150 species. Its metropolis appa- 
tently is North America, where there are about fifty described species. South 
America on the contrary is very poor in Bledius; it possesses only seven or eight 
described species, all of which are minute inconspicuous forms. In the eastern hemi- 
sphere the genus is generally distributed, except in islands. 
1. Bledius lecontei. (Tab. XVIII. fig. 7.) 
Testaceus, opacus ; capite elytrorumque disco plus minusve infuscatis; mandibulis elongatis, medio longius 
dentatis ; prothorace elytrisque dense subobsoleteque punctatis. 
Long. 7—9 millim. 
Hab. Mexico, Tres Marias Islands (Forrer). 
We have received only two badly preserved specimens of this insect ; these differ 
considerably in size and colour, but are, I have no doubt, one species. B. lecontei is 
closely allied to B. jacobinus, Lec., but with a denser punctuation on the head, thorax, 
and elytra; this punctuation is more obsolete than in B. jacobinus, and the disc of the 
elytra is peculiarly dull. The depression on the submentum is deep in the middle 
behind, and the suture behind it is nearly straight. 
2. Bledius inornatus. (Tab. XVIII. fig. 8.) 
Rufescens, sat nitidus; capite superne abdomineque nigricantibus; prothorace elongato, fortiter punctato ; 
mandibulis sat elongatis, curvatis, ante apicem breviter dentatis. 
Long. 6 millim. 
Hab. Costa Rica, Irazu 6000 to 7000 feet (Rogers); Panama, Bugaba (Champion). 
Head dull, impunctate, unarmed; eyes very convex. ‘Thorax shining, reddish, some- 
what infuscate along the middle, nearly as long as broad ; sides curvate, gently narrowed 
behind, the hind angles extremely indistinct; surface rather closely and coarsely punc- 
tured, more sparingly so along the middle, the dorsal channel very deep and distinct. 
Elytra rather longer than the thorax, shining red, coarsely and closely punctured. 
This Bledius is allied to the European B. fracticornis. Three examples only were 
obtained, two from Irazu and one from Bugaba; they agree closely. 
3. Bledius gregarius. 
Parvus, niger, sat nitidus; prothorace piceo; antennis, pedibus elytrisque testaceis, his disco plus minusve 
infuscatis ; mandibulis brevibus, simplicibus. 
Long. 23 millim. 
Hab. GuateMaua, Duefias (Champion). 
