STAPHYLINID/E. 81 



long as the eyes and noticeably swollen, the carinae fine, not entire; antennae 

 moderate in length, gradually and distinctly incrassate, the outer joints 

 evidently transverse, the second longer than the third; prothorax transverse, 

 much wider than the head, widest at apical third, where it is as wide as the 

 base of the elytra and where the sides are rather strongly rounded, thence 

 converging and straighter to the base, the basal angles almost obliterated, 

 obtusely rounded, the surface moderately convex, almost unimpressed; 

 elytra not quite as long as wide, much longer than the prothorax and not 

 paler except toward the humeri; abdomen parallel, slightly narrower than 

 the elytra, the fifth tergite longer than the fourth; first four joints of the 

 hind tarsi equal. Length 2.25 mm.; width 0.55 mm. California (Truckee). 



A small species of obscure coloration but of nearly normal paral- 

 lel form. 



Metaxya famula n. sp. Body more slender and much less parallel than 

 in the preceding, the coloration nearly similar, the elytra uniform dark 

 piceous; surface rather shining, the pubescence shorter and finer; head smaller, 

 nearly as long as wide, the tempora longer than the eyes and scarcely visibly 

 more prominent; antennae nearly similar but a little shorter, the outer joints 

 distinctly transverse; prothorax much smaller, only a little wider than the 

 head and much narrower than the elytra, only slightly transverse, subparallel 

 and almost evenly, feebly arcuate at the sides, unimpressed ; elytra moderately 

 transverse, longer in the female, much longer than the prothorax; abdomen 

 much narrower than the elytra, parallel, the sixth ventral rather broadly 

 rounded (c?) or semicircularly so (9); tarsi as in fatua. Length 2.4 mm.; 

 width 0.5 mm. California (Lake Tahoe). 



This is an inconspicuous species of the same general type as the 

 preceding, but differing in the smaller head and especially its much 

 smaller prothorax; the elytra are so much longer in some examples 

 than in others as to be inexplicable, except as a sexual peculiarity. 



Metaxya impotens n. sp. Parallel, very moderately convex, somewhat 

 shining, the punctures minute but asperulate, not very close-set even on the 

 elytra; color piceous, the abdomen blackish except apically, the elytra pale, 

 feebly clouded near the scutellum, the legs very pale flavate, the antennae 

 red-brown; head well developed, distinctly wider than long, the tempora 

 much longer and a little more prominent than the eyes, the carinae feeble 

 and short; antennae moderately long, rather thick, feebly incrassate, the 

 outer joints evidently wider than long, the last as long as the two preceding, 

 the second longer than the third; prothorax large, moderately transverse, 

 distinctly wider than the head and about as wide as the base of the elytra, 

 parallel, widest well before the middle, where the sides are broadly arcuate, 

 straighter basally, very obsoletely impressed along the middle; elytra nearly 

 as long as wide, the straight sides feebly diverging from base to apex, distinctly 

 longer than the prothorax; abdomen slightly narrower than the elytra, 

 parallel; metasternum transverse, not advancing, very feebly arcuate medi- 

 ally; four basal joints of the hind tarsi equal. Length 2.0 mm.; width 0.35 

 mm. Rhode Island. 



T. L. Casey, Mem. Col. I, Sept. 1910. 



