STAPHYLINID^. 179 



tapering, with thick margins, which, as usual, become rapidly thinner poste- 

 riorly, virtually disappearing on the fifth tergite, the latter as in verecunda. 

 Length 1.8 mm.; width 0.48 mm. Missouri (St. Louis). 



Differs from any one of the three preceding in its much stouter 

 form, resembling the two preceding in sculpture, but differing from 

 oppidana in the obviously less dense minute punctures throughout; 

 from gnava it differs besides, in its less pallid elytra, which in gnava 

 are, normally, dark along the suture and on the greater part of the 

 flanks, and, from verectmda, it differs in its less pallid elytra and 

 very much less inflated or convex prothorax. 



Strigota mediocris n. sp. Moderately slender, feebly shining, the elytra 

 and abdomen alutaceous, the minute punctures there as dense as in oppidana; 

 very dark piceous in color, the abdomen black, the elytra but slightly pale, 

 piceo-castaneous; head slightly wider than long and feebly inflated basally, 

 the eyes at about their own length from the base, the carinse extremely fine, 

 gradually evanescent far before the middle; antennas piceous-black, rather 

 long and stout, unusually rapidly though gradually very stout distally, the 

 first three joints about equal in length, the fourth not quite as long as wide, 

 obtrapezoidal, the outer joints distinctly transverse; prothorax only moder- 

 ate in size, parallel and rounded at the sides, but slightly transverse, unim- 

 pressed, much wider than the head but evidently narrower than the elytral 

 base; elytra rather well developed, moderately transverse, with slightly 

 diverging sides, the suture nearly a fifth longer than the prothorax; -ab- 

 domen at base nearly as wide as the elytra, feebly tapering, with slightly 

 arcuate sides, having unusually thin margins and large, nearly flat tergites, 

 the fifth one-half longer than the fourth, the sixth large, circularly rounded 

 behind. Length 1.75 mm.; width 0.43 mm. Texas (El Paso). 



The chief distinguishing characters of this species, when compared 

 with any of the preceding, are the less developed prothorax, pro- 

 portionally longer elytra and thinner side margins of the abdomen. 



Strigota vapida n. sp. Moderately slender and convex, rather shining, 

 the minute punctures not very close for the present genus and evidently 

 separated on the abdomen, the vestiture very short, not conspicuous; color 

 black, the elytra dark brown, the legs pale; head nearly as long as wide, 

 feebly inflated basally, the eyes rather small, at much more than their own 

 length from the base, the carinse wholly obsolete; antennae rather long and 

 stout, of the usual structure though rather less incrassate than usual; pro- 

 thorax but slightly transverse, much wider than the head and as wide as 

 the elytral base, rounded at base, the sides feebly converging and broadly 

 rounded from the indistinct basal angles to the apex, the surface with a feeble 

 transverse impression before the scutellum; elytra only moderately abbre- 

 viated, the sides feebly diverging, the suture a fourth longer than the pro- 

 thorax; abdomen not quite as wide as the elytra, subparallel, narrowed 

 slightly apically, the margins thick, rapidly disappearing posteriorly. Length 



