STAPHYLINIDJE. 61 



to about the middle, fine; antennae rather short, gradually and distinctly 

 incrassate, the outer joints moderately transverse, the last obtuse, shorter 

 than the two preceding, the second much longer than the third but shorter 

 than the next two; prothorax moderately transverse, somewhat wider sub- 

 apically than basally, with feebly arcuate sides, distinctly wider than the 

 head and rather evidently narrower than the elytral base, the median line 

 finely impressed in basal half; elytra subparallel, only slightly shorter than 

 wide, very much longer than the prothorax, the apices not sinuate laterally; 

 abdomen rather long, much narrower than the elytra though slightly wider 

 at the apex of the fourth tergite than at base, the sixth ventral in the type 

 feebly produced, broadly trapezoidal, with the apex arcuately truncate 

 and the angles broadly rounded. Length 1.9 mm.; width 0.42 mm. Cali- 

 fornia (Truckee). 



The sterna of this distinct species are nearly as in alamedana, 

 except that the metasternal projection is much shorter and more 

 broadly though evidently angulate; the tarsi are rather slender, 

 with the first four joints of the posterior equal. 



Atheta (Microdota) perversa n. sp. Form rather stout and a little larger, 

 black, the elytra dark piceous, the legs pale piceo-flavate; surface slightly 

 shining, closely and very finely punctate and micro-reticulate, the reticu- 

 lation of the abdomen coarser but almost completely obsolete, its surface 

 polished; pubescence short, rather abundant, dusky-cinereous; head slightly 

 transverse, sensibly broader basally, the eyes about as long as the tempora 

 but less prominent, the carinae fine, extending to about the middle; antennae 

 pale brown, moderately short and incrassate, the outer joints evidently 

 wider than long, the last elongate-oval, nearly as long as the two preceding, 

 the basal joints as in the preceding; prothorax very moderately transverse, 

 parallel, with rather feebly rounded sides, much wider than the head and 

 evidently though less markedly narrower than the elytra, vaguely flattened 

 or subimpressed medially; elytra moderately transverse; much longer than 

 the prothorax, the apices distinctly though not deeply sinuate externally; 

 abdomen distinctly narrower than the elytra, the sides feebly converging 

 and straight from base to apex, finely, rather closely and evidently punctate, 

 the sixth tergite in the types small, with the apex feebly sinuate medially, 

 the angles broadly rounded ; sterna nearly as in the preceding, except that 

 the apex of the mesosternum is less aciculate, being very narrowly truncate 

 at tip, the tarsi similar. Length 2.0 mm.; width 0.52 mm. California 

 (Gualala, Mendocino Co.). 



In the peculiar form and sculpture of the abdomen this species 

 resembles properans, but otherwise it is quite different. 



Hilara Rey. 



These small slender species are held to form merely a group of 

 Microdota. Our representatives are rather numerous and well dif- 

 ferentiated, but are evidently congeners of Hilara palliola Er., 

 though in nearly every case having the prothorax more developed. 



