Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 195 



3 — Basal impressions of the abdomen more or iess coarsely and distinctly 



punctured 4 



Basal impressions feebly and indistinctly punctured or apparently impunc- 

 tate 5 



4 — Form stout, convex, parallel, shining, deep black throughout the body, 



antennae and legs, the latter rufo-piceous distally; pubescence fine, 

 moderate in length, decumbent, rather sparse but dark gray and dis- 

 tinct ; head well developed, wider than long, abruptly narrowed at base, 

 finely, rather closely punctate, with a large and oval, median impunc- 

 tate depression ; antennae extending to about basal third of the elytra, 

 the second and third joints elongate and equal, the tenth almost as 

 long as wide; neck four-fifths as wide as the head; prothorax short, 

 slightly wider than the head, more than a fourth wider than long, the 

 sides moderately prominent at apical third, thence feebly converging to 

 the base; surface broadly, evenly convex, minutely, not closely and 

 inconspicuously punctulate, with two very approximate coarse punct- 

 ures in a short transverse impression just before the base; elytra well 

 developed, parallel, wider than long with well marked humeri, a third 

 wider and one-half longer than the prothorax, broadly, feebly sinuate 

 toward the sides at tip, minutely, not densely and inconspicuously 

 punctulate; abdomen almost as wide as the elytra, parallel, the border 

 thick but rapidly thinner on the fifth segment, the punctures minute and 

 rather close-set but inconspicuous, the three basal impressions deep 

 and coarsely but not densely punctate; hind tarsi short, the first three 

 joints rapidly decreasing in length. Length 2.9 mm.; width 0.78 mm. 

 Montana (Kalispell) , — H. F. Wickham heleuae n. sp. 



Form neatly similar to the preceding, much smaller, shining, black, the 

 elytra very dark, the entire legs paler, castaneous; antennae blackish- 

 piceous; punctures minute and somewhat close-set throughout, the 

 vestiture short and not very conspicuous; head and antennae nearly as 

 in helenae, the second joint of the latter rather longer and thicker than 

 the third; middle of the vertex with a smaller, deep, rounded and im- 

 punctate impression ; prothorax nearly similar but relatively somewhat 

 smaller, scarcely wider than the head, unimpressed, tbe two basal 

 foveae similarly well marked; elytra more elongate, but slightly trans- 

 verse, similarly impressed on the suture toward base and with widely 

 exposed humeri, one-half wider and longer than the prothorax; abdomen 

 parallel, narrower than the elytra, the punctures rather stronger than 

 in helenae and equally close-set; legs rather short and stout, the hind 

 tarsi fully three-fourths as long as the tibiae, with the first joint 

 shorter than the next two combined, the bristling setae long. Length 

 2.3 mm. ; width 0.68 mm. Arizona (Benson),— G. W. Dunn. 



deserticola n. sp. 



Form subparalleland rather stout, shining, finely, closely punctulate through- 

 out but especially on the abdomen, the pubescei ce not conspicuous 

 black, the elytra feebly picescent, the legs piceous, gradually paler 

 distally, the antennae blackish, scarcely paler toward base ; head nearly 

 as long as wide, broadly rounded behind at the sides, the eyes moder- 

 ate, the vertex broadly, feebly and indefinitely impressed; antennae 

 gradually and rather strongly incrassate distally, the second joint 



