STAPHYLINID.E. 39 



rather thick margins, gradually and feebly, arcuately tapering posteriorly, 

 the fifth tergite long. Length 2.1 mm.; width 0.5 mm. California 

 (Truckee and Lake Tahoe). 



Closely allied to profuga but narrower and slightly smaller and 

 differing besides in the more incrassate antennae, with more swollen 

 apical joint and in the longer, narrower elytra. 



Oxypoda optiva n. sp. Somewhat stout and convex, slightly shining, 

 the punctures very fine and not very dense, well separated even on the 

 posterior parts of the abdomen; color dark piceo-rufous, the head darker 

 and the abdomen black, except apically, the vestiture palish and dis- 

 tinct; head but little wider than long, slightly more than half as wide as 

 the prothorax, the sides parallel and broadly rounded, the eyes at a little 

 less than their own length from the base; antennae gradually incrassate 

 and fuscous, paler basally, of the usual structure, the last joint (cf) 

 strongly constricted and narrowed beyond the middle, the basal part 

 however not noticeably swollen, longer than the two preceding; pro- 

 thorax large, nearly as in the preceding and more narrowed at apex than 

 in profuga, the base evenly, moderately rounded throughout; elytra 

 rather transverse, evidently narrower than the prothorax, apparently 

 somewhat narrower at apex than at base, the apical sinuses deep, the 

 suture slightly shorter than the pronotum; abdomen at base but little 

 narrower than the elytral apex, parallel and with thick margins basally, 

 almost imperceptibly narrowed apically, the fifth tergite, as well as the 

 entire abdomen, relatively wider than in either of the two preceding. 

 Length 2.25 mm.; width 0.62 mm. Vancouver Island (Victoria). 



This is also closely allied to profuga but is stouter, paler in color, 

 rather more loosely punctulate and with more developed elytra. 



Oxypoda lassula n. sp. Subparallel, moderately convex, somewhat 

 shining, piceous-black throughout, the legs paler, piceous; punctures 

 fine, asperulate, finer and denser on the abdomen, the vestiture short and 

 close but infuscate; head rathef small, only little more than half as wide 

 as the prothorax, slightly wider than long, parallel and rounded at the 

 sides, the coarsely faceted eyes at more than their own length from the 

 base; antennae piceous-brown throughout, short, slender, only feebly 

 incrassate, the short hairs not dense and rather coarse, the second joint 

 longer than first or third, fourth about as long as wide, the tenth slightly 

 transverse, the last as long as the two preceding, compressed at tip; 

 prothorax nearly three-fifths wider than long, slightly wider before than 

 at the base, the sides almost evenly arcuate, rapidly converging anteriorly, 

 the base broadly arcuate, the angles slightly obtuse though distinct; 

 elytra but slightly transverse, parallel, as wide as the prothorax, the 

 suture fully as long as the latter; abdomen at base evidently narrower 

 than the elytra, slightly tapering thence to the fifth tergite, which is not 

 very long, one-half longer than the fourth; sides straight, the margins 

 rather thin. Length 2.3-2.5 mm.; width 0.58 mm. Washington State 

 (Spokane) and British Columbia (Stikine River), YVickham. 



