STAPHYLINID.. 47 



and close, the punctures of the abdomen asperate though very fine and 

 extremely dense throughout; head small, about half as wide as the pro- 

 thorax, the eyes large, at much less than their own length from the base 

 but not prominent; antennae dark, paler and slender at base, short, 

 evenly and rather rapidly incrassate distally, the second joint distinctly 

 longer than the third, fourth slightly more, the fifth a little less, than as 

 long as wide, the tenth moderately transverse, the last somewhat longer 

 than the two preceding, rather acutely pointed; prothorax large, three- 

 fifths wider than long, rounded at base, much narrowed at apex, the 

 sides evenly and strongly arcuate throughout, becoming parallel basally, 

 unimpressed; elytra large, slightly shorter than wide, parallel, fully 

 as wide as the prothorax, the suture fully a third longer; abdomen rather 

 slender, at base much narrower than the elytra, thence gradually some- 

 what strongly tapering to the fifth tergite, which at apex is scarcely 

 three-fifths as wide as the first, the sides nearly straight, the margins 

 not notably thick. Length 1.9 mm.; width 0.58 mm. California (San 

 Francisco). 



Easily recognizable by the stout, posteriorly tapering form, large 

 elytra and fine dense sculpture. 



The following seven species are about as stout as the preceding 

 but taper much less posteriorly: 



Oxypoda sejuncta n. sp. Feebly fusoid, rather convex and unusually 

 shining, deep black, the elytra blackish-piceous, the legs piceous; punc- 

 tures throughout very fine and well separated, not different on the ab- 

 domen, the vestiture not dense, dusky and inconspicuous; head rather 

 large, transverse, almost two-thirds as wide as the prothorax, just visibly 

 inflated at base, the eyes moderately large; antennae not very short and 

 unusually slender, black, paler basally, the first three joints subequal, 

 the second very slightly the longest, fourth as long as wide, the outer 

 joints but just visibly wider than long, the last slender, pointed at tip 

 and rather longer than the two preceding; prothorax relatively small, 

 more than one-half wider than long, the sides very moderately converging 

 and rather strongly, subevenly arcuate from the rounded base to the apex, 

 the latter not much narrowed, the surface scarcely impressed; elytra 

 large, about as long as wide, at base fully as wide as the prothorax, at 

 apex wider, the suture two-fifths longer, impressed behind the scutellum; 

 abdomen at base fully as wide as the prothorax, narrower than the elytral 

 apex, subparallel, with broadly arcuate sides which become slightly 

 converging apically, the margins strong, the fifth tergite one-half longer 

 than the fourth; basal joint of the hind tarsi longer than the next two 

 but shorter than the next three. Length 2.2 mm.; width 0.7 mm. 

 California (Placer Co.). 



Distinguishable very easily by its black coloration, dark vestiture, 

 fine and well separated punctures, slender antennae, well developed 

 head and large elytra. 



