STAPHYLINID^E. 183 



An aberrant species in having the basal joint of the hind tarsi 

 not as long as the next two combined, as it is in all the preceding, 

 but materially shorter, though still very much elongated; the first 

 three joints decrease uniformly but very rapidly in length. 



Strigota obliquata n. sp. Slender, only moderately convex, rather shining, 

 the minute punctures less dense than usual, especially on the abdomen; 

 color black, the elytra feebly picescent, the legs paler, piceous; head rather 

 small, a little wider than long and feebly dilated basally, the eyes well de- 

 veloped and at only slightly more than their own length from the base, the 

 carinse rather strong and perfectly entire; antennae blackish, the basal 

 joint pale, as long as the second but stouter, the remainder missing in the 

 type; prothorax rather short and transverse, the sides distinctly converging 

 and only very moderately arcuate from the rounded, though more than 

 usually visible, basal angles to the apex, the base broadly rounded, the sur- 

 face not evidently impressed, much wider than the head and as wide as the 

 elytral base; elytra well developed, only moderately abbreviated, with feebly 

 diverging sides, the suture fully a third longer than the prothorax; abdomen 

 rather slender, evidently narrower than the elytra, gradually and feebly 

 tapering throughout, the margins somewhat thin; tergites proportioned 

 nearly as in the preceding but much less punctate, the fifth apparently a little 

 longer. Length 2.3 mm.; width 0.4 mm. California (Lake Co.). 



This species is also aberrant in its slender and less convex form, 

 gradually anteriorly narrowed prothorax and smaller head. The 

 hind tarsi are unfortunately missing in the type. 



