Casey — Observatio7is on the Staphylinidae. 227 



legs rather short, moderately slender, the hind tarsi filiform, much 

 shorter than the tibiae, with the basal joint somewhat longer than the 

 next three together, the latter diminishing slightly and gradually In 



length. Nearctic and Palaearctic regions Falagria 



Scutellum without trace of carination, flat; body minute in size, moderately 

 stout and convex 9 



9 — Middle coxae more widely separated than in Falagria, the process ex- 



tending about to the middle of the acetabula, rectilinearly truncate and 

 separated from the metasternal projection by a similar short isthmus 

 joining the latter by a very fine suture ; prosternum before the coxae 

 nearly as in Falagria but more narrowly produced and less broadly 

 rounded at the middle posteriorly; head truncate at base with very 

 distinct and narrowly rounded angles, the neck wider than in Falagria, 

 nearly a third as wide as the head, the eyes similarly small and promi- 

 nent, the antennae rather short, rapidly incrassate distally, with the 

 subapical joints strongly transverse, the eleventh large, as long as the 

 two preceding combined, obtusely pointed; prothorax short, much 

 more ftebly narrowed behind, the surface very finely and obsoletely 

 impressed along the median line but with a distinct short transverse 

 impression before the base; scutellum with large, approximate and 

 feebly elevated granulation, the elytra with widely exposed humeri; 

 legs rather short and slender, the filiform hind tarsi slightly shorter 

 than the tibiae, with the basal joint shorter than the next three com- 

 bined, the latter equal among themselves. Europe *Melagria 



Middle coxae still more widely separated, the mesosternal process wide, 

 truncate at tip, extending to about the middle of the acetabula, where 

 it meets the equally broad metasternal projection in a simple trans- 

 verse suture, without intervening isthmus; prosternum moderate before 

 the coxae, its hind margin with a broad cusp point at the middle, the 

 cusp not at all rounded; head arcuato-truncate at base and with dis- 

 tinct rounded angles, the neck very narrow, barely a fourth as wide as 

 the head, the eyes well developed, prominent; antennae moderately 

 long, not very strongly incrassate distally, the tenth joint much longer 

 than the ninth and but slightly wider than long, the eleventh shorter 

 than the two preceding combined, ogival and acutely pointed; pro- 

 thorax small as in Melagria, much less narrowed at base than in Falagria, 

 acutely and deeply sulcate, the sulcus ending posteriorly in a small 

 deep fovea scarcely wider than the sulcus; surface not impressed 

 before the base ; scutellum as in Chitalia, sparsely and acutely granu- 

 lose, the granules sometimes parted along the middle; elytra with 

 widely exposed humeri; abdominal impressions subimpunctate ; legs 

 rather short but slender, the hind tarsi very slender, filiform, much 

 shorter than the tibiae, with the basal joint fully as long as the next 

 three combined. Nearctic America Leptagria 



10 — Body very minute, parallel, rather strongly depressed, the middle 



coxae somewhat narrowly though distinctly separated, the mesosternal 

 process extending about to the middle, arcuato-truncate at tip, meeting 

 the transversely convex metasternal projection on the same plane at a 

 rather fine suture and without intervening isthmus; prosternum before 

 the coxae moderate, its hind margin broadly angulate, the angle 



