STAPHYLINID^;. 3 



the setae frequently giving an appearance of a joint before the last 

 that may not exist, so that mistakes are liable to occur until, or 

 even after, experience may have indicated, through certain peculi- 

 arities of habitus, the proper tribal group in cases of uncertainty 

 in the count. 



Having determined in this way the tribe to which the species 

 belongs, the next character to observe will depend in general upon 

 the tribe. If one of the Aleocharini, having all the tarsi 5-jointed, 

 attention should first be given to the maxillary palpi; if the fourth 

 joint has a terminal appendage the species is to be assigned to 

 Aleochara or some allied genus; if there is no appendage the hind 

 tarsi will generally show whether the species is allied to Ocalea 

 or Thiasophila, or is an Oxypoda, the first joint of the posterior tarsi 

 being long in the latter. If the species be a Myrmedoniid, having 

 the tarsi 4-5-5- jointed, the palpi are also to be observed for the 

 terminal appendage, which if present will indicate one of the Hop- 

 landriae; if not and the middle coxae be very widely separated it 

 may be a Tinotus or a Myrmedonia, sculpture deciding to external 

 view; if the coxae are not very widely separated the first joint of the 

 hind tarsi will usually decide, if short as to the Athetae, or long as 

 to Gnypeta and allies, but exceptions occur; for example in the 

 Athetid Athetalia, the basal joint is long; general habitus will be the 

 best criterion in such cases. If the species prove to be a Bolito- 

 charid, having 4-4-5-jointed tarsi, the degree of separation of the 

 middle coxae will show whether it is a Gyrophaenid widely sepa- 

 rated or a Leptusid narrowly separated, and so on. These are 

 only most superficial suggestions, as for instance narrow-necked 

 species occur in all the tribes, which, if an Aleocharinid, will be an 

 Echidnoglossa, if a Myrmedoniid a Falagriid, if a Bolitocharid an 

 Autalia and if a Hygronomid, having all the tarsi 4-jointed, a 

 Bamona. 



There are many striking recurrences of an almost similar habitus 

 in all the tribes of the tarsal system of classification in the Aleo- 

 charinae. Tinotus, Hydrosmecta and Falagria of the Myrmedoniini, 

 for example, forcibly recall respectively Aleochara of the Aleocharini, 

 Thecturota of the Bolitocharini and Echidnoglossa of the Aleo- 

 charini, as well as Autalia of the Bolitocharini and Bamona of the 

 Hygronomini. Aleuonota of the Myrmedoniini greatly resembles 



LIB RAP 





