STAPHYLINID^E. 77 



greatly resembles, in its much larger head, stouter form and more 

 arcuate and more heavily margined sides of the abdomen ; the pro- 

 thorax is not quite so short or transverse. 



Group ATHETVE. 



As stated in my paper of last year the scope of this group covers 

 the composite genus Atheta of the recent European catalogue of 

 Heyden, Reitter and Weise. 



Atheta Thorns. 

 Subgenus Stethusa Csy. 



The sternal structure of this section of Atheta proper is so dis- 

 tinctive, that the propriety of advancing it to generic rank might be 

 considered legitimate. The habits of the subgenus are wholly 

 stercoraceous so far as observed. The species are very numerous, 

 though closely allied in many parts of the series and especially in 

 the neighborhood of irvingi. More careful study of the material in 

 my cabinet indicates the following additional forms, some of which 

 may ultimately be proved to be rather subspecific than specific, 

 though there is but little evidence of this now: 



Atheta (Stethusa) clarescans n. sp. Subparallel, somewhat shining, 

 piceous-brown, the head and a feeble subapical abdominal cloud blackish, 

 the elytra pale straw-yellow, infumate suturally toward base, the legs 

 very pale; puncture fine, close, even and subasperate, sparser though 

 numerous and very fine on the abdomen, the vestiture short, palish; 

 head transverse, fully three-fourths as wide as the prothorax, the large 

 prominent eyes at a third of their length from the base, the tempora 

 rapidly converging and rounded behind them; antennae long, gradually 

 feebly incrassate, moderately stout, infumate, the basal joint pale 

 straw-color, the long first and third joints equal in length, the first 

 much the thicker, second distinctly shorter, four to seven evidently 

 longer than wide, the tenth almost as long as wide, the last gradually 

 ogivally pointed and as long as the two preceding; prothorax nearly one- 

 half wider than long, parallel, the sides feebly rounded, more so and 

 more converging apically, the base arcuate, with the angles obtuse and 

 blunt, the surface finely, feebly impressed along the median line, more 

 strongly at base; elytra unusually large, moderately transverse, a fifth 

 wider and nearly a third longer than the prothorax; abdomen parallel, 

 rectilinear, not as wide as the elytra. Length 3.0 mm.; width 0.78 mm. 

 New York (Catskill Mts.). 



Allied to irvingi but differing in its larger and generally paler 

 elytra, rather longer and less apically incrassate antennae and in hav- 



