STAPHYLINID.E. 99 



The four following also have the general aspect of fungivorous 

 species and are distinguishable at once by the coloration, the black 

 or blackish abdomen having the first two tergites abruptly pale and 

 testaceous; they should follow immediately after nexa in my previous 

 arrangement, but they all have the prothorax larger than in that 

 species: 



Atheta propitia n. sp. Rather stout, very shining, black or piceous- 

 black throughout, the elytra basally, except at the scutellum, the two 

 basal tergites and the abdominal apex pale testaceous, the legs very pale; 

 punctures fine, not dense, sparse on the abdomen, the pubescence moder- 

 ate; head nearly three-fourths as wide as the prothorax, slightly trans- 

 verse, the eyes rather prominent, at less than their own length from the 

 base, the tempora almost equally prominent, straight and parallel, then 

 broadly rounding to the base, the carinae very fine but entire; antennae 

 blackish, rather thick, moderately short, pale basally, the third joint 

 slightly longer than the second, twice as long as wide, not quite as long 

 as the fourth and fifth, which are distinctly transverse, the outer joints 

 rather strongly so, the last gradually and very acutely pointed, longer 

 than the two preceding; prothorax nearly one-half wider than long, parallel 

 and feebly arcuate at the sides, more rounding at apex and with a small 

 rounded ante-scutellar impression; elytra rather transverse, with nearly 

 straight and feebly diverging sides, at base very slightly wider, the suture 

 barely a fourth longer, than the prothorax; abdomen slightly narrower 

 than the elytra, parallel at base but gradually very slightly narrowing 

 thence posteriorly, the fifth tergite much longer than the fourth, the 

 sixth (9) evenly and circularly rounded at apex. Length 2.6 mm.; 

 width 0.7 mm. North Carolina (Asheville). 



A distinct species in coloration and many other characters and not 

 closely allied to any other described thus far. 



Atheta palpator n. sp. Rather stout, moderately convex and shining, 

 the punctures fine, moderately close, sparser on the abdomen, the 

 vestiture noticeably long and somewhat coarse, palish; color piceous- 

 black, the head and the abdomen, except the apex and the first two ter- 

 gites, deep black; elytra pale tawny- flavate, the external apical angles 

 broadly and the suture narrowly and feebly toward base blackish, the 

 legs very pale; head not quite three-fourths as wide as the prothorax, 

 slightly wider than long, the eyes large, rather prominent, at three-fourths 

 their length from the base, the tempora not quite so prominent, straight 

 and parallel for a short distance, then strongly oblique 'to the base, the 

 carinae very fine, entire; antennae black, gradually testaceous basally, 

 moderately long, gradually and distinctly incrassate, the second and 

 third joints subequal, fourth almost as long as wide, the outer joints 

 moderately transverse, the last slender, narrowing apically but obtusely 

 pointed and evidently longer than the two preceding; prothorax scarcely 

 one-half wider than long, parallel and somewhat strongly rounded at the 



