STAPHYLINID^E. 79 



all impressed, the surface with a feeble transverse ante-scutellar impres- 

 sion; elytra having the usual pallid coloration, with diverging and nearly 

 straight sides, at apex two-fifths wider, the suture nearly a fifth longer, 

 than the prothorax; abdomen narrower than the elytra, parallel, with 

 just visibly arcuate sides and rather thin margins, the sixth tergite (9 ) 

 evenly but obtusely rounded at tip. Length 2.6 mm.; width 0.56 mm. 

 Rhode Island (Boston Neck). 



A small and unusually slender form, with relatively less developed 

 head and prothorax than usual, as in videns, but differing from that 

 species in its much smaller size, shorter prothorax, slightly shorter 

 and more slender antennae and more narrowly rounded sixth tergite 

 of the female. The head bears about the same proportion to the 

 prothorax in most of the species; when the former is notably 

 small, the latter is also less developed than usual as a rule. 



Atheta (Stethusa) cernens n. sp. Parallel, moderately convex and 

 shining, blackish-piceous, the head and abdomen black, the elytra of the 

 usual pallid coloration, the sculpture and pubescence fine and rather close 

 as usual; head large, nearly five-sixths as wide as the prothorax, of the 

 usual form and with very large eyes; antenna? piceous. paler basally, of 

 the usual structure, except that the fourth joint is not longer than wide, 

 the fifth and sixth longer than wide, tenth slightly shorter than wide, 

 the second but little shorter than the third; prothorax large, parallel, 

 with rather well rounded sides, the ante-scutellar impression distinct; 

 elytra more parallel than usual, very slightly wider and longer than the 

 prothorax; abdomen parallel, narrower than the elytra, with the usual 

 rather thin side margins. Length 2.75 mm. ; width 0.7 mm. Mississippi 

 (Pass Christian). 



Closely allied to irvingi but differing from any of the preceding 

 in the shorter fourth antennal joint; the male sexual characters are 

 virtually as in irvingi and affluens. 



Atheta (Stethusa) officiosa n. sp. Subparallel, moderately convex 

 and shining, piceous-black, the head black; abdomen black, the apex and 

 the apices of the basal segments feebly paler; elytra and legs pale; head 

 very large, almost five-sixths as wide as the prothorax, the eyes large; 

 antennae long and notably heavy, blackish-piceous, pale basally, gradually 

 and moderately incrassate distally, the second joint almost as long as the 

 third, fourth not longer than wide, the tenth distinctly wider than long 

 and shorter than the ninth; prothorax unusually transverse, three-fifths 

 wider than long, of the usual form, not impressed on the median line, the 

 ante-scutellar impression small and feeble; elytra nearly parallel, only 

 just visibly wider though a fifth longer than the prothorax; abdomen 

 much narrower than the elytra, parallel. Length 2.25 mm.; width 

 0.5 mm. New York (Catskill Mts.). 



