Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 223 



transTerse, distinctly shorter than the prothorax, the apices much more 

 oblique than in venustula, the punctures less close-set; abdomen similarly 

 parallel with arcuate sides, about as wide as the elytra in the male, the 

 sixth ventral in that sex obtuse and feebly sinuate as in venustula, the 

 sinus about a third as wide as the apex and very shallow. Length 2.0 

 mm. ; width 0.43 mm. New York (Catskill Mts.), — H. H. Smith. 



obliqnan. sp. 



It will be noticed that the feeble and broadly rounded 

 sinus of the sixth ventral is almost exactly similar to that of 

 the genus JSuliusa, and that the narrower form of the female 

 and especially the narrower abdomen of the latter sex, is also 

 a peculiarity noted in several species of that genus. Obliqua 

 is represented by a single specimen, but it certainly differs 

 very much from venustula in the form as well as in the ab- 

 breviation of the elytra, and very noticeably in the form of 

 the prothorax. I have assumed venustula as the type of 

 Meronera, as it was assigned to that genus by its founder, 

 and was the first species described. It is abundant through- 

 out the northern Atlantic regions. 



Subtribe Falagriae. 



The Falagriae differ from the Tachyusae in having the 

 presternum under the coxae corneous and not membranous. 

 This chitinous lining is not a posterior extension of the ante- 

 coxal part of the prosternum, but is composed of two plates 

 that take their origin at the sides posteriorly, beginning as 

 small plates surrounding the spiracles. These plates develop 

 inwardly and finally meet on the median line. They are very 

 variable in extent in the several genera, usually complete, 

 meeting on the median line and extending to the ante-coxal 

 part, in such cases wholly protecting the membrane so largely 

 exposed in the Tachyusae, but, in other genera, they may not 

 quite meet throughout on the median line, their rounded in- 

 ternal margins leaving a triangular piece of exposed membrane 

 adjoining the ante-coxal part of the prosternum, and, in one 

 genus, the plates are very small, leaving most of the mem- 

 brane exposed. The Pacific coast fauna is very poor in rep- 

 resentatives of the Falagriae, and it is remarkable that in the 



