STAPHYLINID^E. 101 



this being coarser, more irregular and more nearly obsolete in 

 palpator. 



Atheta nacta n. sp. Coloration, shining lustre and sculpture nearly 

 as in burra but with the faint abdominal micro-reticulation less close, 

 or less regularly transversely wavy; head more distinctly wider than 

 long, scarcely more than two-thirds as wide as the prothorax, the eyes 

 not so large but more prominent, at three-fourths their length from the 

 base, the tempora decidedly less prominent, at first straight and parallel 

 for a short distance, then oblique to the base, the carinae fine but entire; 

 antennae moderately long, very gradually incrassate and black, slender 

 and pale basally, the long second and third joints equal, fourth slightly 

 longer than wide, fifth a little wider than long, tenth about one-half wider 

 than long, the last gradually pointed, a little longer than the two pre- 

 ceding; prothorax as in the preceding, except that the ante-scutellar 

 impression is somewhat larger, transversely oval and more shallow; 

 elytra nearly as in the preceding, except that the suture is shorter and 

 very much more deeply impressed at base, the base just visibly wider, 

 the suture not over a fifth or sixth longer, than the prothorax; abdomen 

 slightly narrower than the elytra, parallel basally, arcuately narrowing 

 perceptibly toward tip, strongly margined, the fifth tergite not quite 

 so long as the fourth, the sixth (9 ) evenly and broadly rounded in cir- 

 cular arc. Length 2.0 mm.; width 0.7 mm. Missouri (St. Louis). 



Related much more closely to palpator than to burra and simi- 

 larly differing from burra in the more gradually and less apically 

 incrassate antennae; it resembles palpator in the form of the head, 

 eyes, tempora and antennae, though having the fourth joint of the 

 latter longer and more parallel, but the prothorax is shorter and 

 the elytra shorter, more diverging at the sides and with the suture 

 very much more impressed basally. 



The following six species may follow ducens in my previous 

 statement of our probably fungivorous eastern species of larger size: 



Atheta tradita n. sp. Rather stout and convex, dullish in lustre, the 

 abdomen shining but with the micro-reticulation not closely or regularly 

 strigiliform; punctures fine, strongly asperulate and close-set, sparse on 

 the abdomen; pubescence very short, palish and dense; color pale piceous- 

 brown, the head darker but not black, the abdomen pale flavate, with a 

 very feeble suffused darkish cloud posteriorly, except at apex, the elytra 

 very pale albido-flavate, just visibly infumate toward the outer apical 

 angles and the scutellum, the legs very pale; head well developed, trans- 

 verse, two-thirds as wide as the prothorax, the eyes large, at about half 

 their length from the base, the tempora equally prominent, parallel 

 and straight for a very short distance, then moderately oblique to the 

 base, the carinae very fine, subentire; antennae blackish, pale basally, 

 rather long, very gradually and moderately incrassate, the long third 

 joint distinctly longer than the second, fourth longer than the fifth, as 



