STAPHYLINID^E. 77 



Metaxya Rey. 



The elongated slender form of the body and closely contiguous 

 middle coxse, long and usually much more slender antennae and the 

 general habitus, all distinguish Metaxya very clearly from Atheta 

 and most of its subgenera, and there seems to me very little doubt 

 of the propriety of considering it a distinct genus in the Atheta series. 

 The species are numerous and considerably diversified. 



Metaxya bellula n. sp. Parallel, moderately shining, not very convex, 

 the micro-reticulation distinct, the punctures very fine, rather close-set but 

 inconspicuous, the pubescence short, palish but not at all conspicuous; head 

 black, convex, rather shining, slightly transverse, the eyes at fully their own 

 length from the base, the tempora not more prominent, broadly arcuate and 

 converging to the base, the carinae distinct, not entire; antennae dusky 

 rufous, brighter basally, rather long, gradually and markedly incrassate 

 distally, the outer joints not quite as long as wide, the last as long as the 

 preceding two, the second and third much elongated, the former distinctly 

 the longer; prothorax piceo-rufotis, only slightly transverse, parallel and 

 rounded at the sides though feebly subangulate before the middle, the apex 

 rather narrower than the rounded base, much wider than the head and slightly 

 narrower than the elytra, the basal impression distinct; elytra and legs 

 pale brownish-flavate, the former slightly dusky broadly about the scutellum, 

 shorter than wide, the suture a fourth longer than the prothorax; abdomen 

 narrower than the elytra, perfectly parallel, with straight sides, black, pale 

 at apex and finely rufescent at the apices of the basal segments, the sixth 

 tergite (cf) broadly rounded, the sixth ventral plate gradually narrowing, 

 with evenly arcuate sides, the apex with a shallow circular sinus limited at 

 each side by a distinct though only moderately prominent angle. Length 

 2.7-2.9 mm.; width 0.62 mm. Rhode Island (Boston Neck). 



Evidently related to proterminata Bernh., but apparently more 

 shining, with less conspicuous pubescence, a smaller head and less 

 acute and prominent teeth limiting the sinus of the sixth male 

 ventral plate. 



Metaxya discrepans n. sp. More slender and less parallel, shining, the 

 micro-reticulation rather feeble, the punctures very fine, close-set, more 

 asperate and distinct on the elytra, the vestiture short, somewhat coarse, 

 evident; color pale testaceous, the elytra more flavate, the head and abdomen 

 rufo-piceous, the latter clouded with black before the apex; head nearly as 

 long as wide, the eyes convex, anterior, the tempora much longer, rather 

 less prominent, parallel, nearly straight, rounding only basally, the carinse 

 very feeble, not entire; antennae pale, rather long and only very slightly 

 incrassate, the outer joints fully as long as wide, the last not quite as long as 

 the two preceding, the second and third much elongated, the former slightly 

 the longer; prothorax small, nearly as long as wide, distinctly wider than the 

 head and much narrower than the elytra, parallel, the sides feebly arcuate, 



