Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 269 



Abdotneu subparallel, feebly narrowed toward tip; the antennae shorter. 10 



10 — Form moderately stout, not very convex, shining, the head and pro- 

 notam minutely, feebly reticulate, black or piceous-black, the elytra 

 pale at the humeri, narrowly at apex near the sides and narrowly along 

 the suture posteriorly; legs pale, the antennae blackish, slightly paler 

 toward base but not at apex; head transverse, slightly narrowed be- 

 hind the eyes, finely, sparsely punctulate, more closely along the base 

 and sides; antennae moderately incrassate distally, attaining basal 

 third of the elytra, the fourth joint rather distinctly longer than wide, 

 the fifth very nearly as long as wide, the outer joints distinctly but not 

 strongly transverse; prothorax much wider than the head, a third 

 wider than long, the sides strongly sinuate toward base, the angles but 

 slightly more than right, the punctures minute, asperulate and not 

 very close-set; elytra rather large, nearly one-half wider and three- 

 fourths longer than the prothorax, somewhat depressed, finely, closely 

 punctured and only feebly asperulate ; abdomen much narrower than 

 the elytra and but little wider than the prothorax, the apices of the 

 first two tergites pale laterally, the punctures flue and moderately 

 close, the impressions deep. Length 2.75 mm. ; width 0.78 mm. Cali- 

 fornia (Humboldt Co.). [= Bolitochara nig . Csy.] nigrina Csy. 



Form and sculpture nearly similar to the preceding, smaller, pale piceous, 

 the elytra flavo-testaceous, broadly piceous-black toward the external 

 apical angles, except at tip, and also about the scutellum; abdomen 

 black, the first three tergites pale at the sides almost throughout their 

 length; legs pale, the antennae dusky, paler toward base but not at 

 tip; head nearly as in nigrina but relatively larger, minutely, sparsely 

 punctulate, the antennae much shorter, more rapidly and strongly in- 

 crassate distally, but slightly longer than the head and prothorax, the 

 fourth joint as long as wide, the fifth distinctly and the penultimate 

 strongly transverse; prothorax but slightly wider than the head, nearly 

 as in nigrina but less strongly sinuate at the sides toward base, the 

 angles more obtuse ; elytra nearly similar in form and in their fine close 

 sculpture; abdomen nearly similar in form and sculpture. Length 

 2.4-2.6 mm.; width 0.68-0.7 mm. California (Humboldt Co.). 



brevicomis n. sp. 



Form similar, the size still smaller, similarly minutely reticulate anteriorly, 

 shining, colored as in brevicornis, the basal tergites pale at the sides of 

 their apices ; head transverse, subparallel at the sides, abruptly con- 

 stricted at base, finely, sparsely punctulate, the antennae rather short, 

 rapidly and strongly incrassate distally, the fourth joint obviously 

 longer than wide, the fifth nearly as long as wide, the tenth about 

 three-fifths wider than long; prothorax nearly as in brevicornis but 

 more distinctly wider than the head; elytra nearly similar in form but 

 much more coarsely punctate, the punctures well separated ; abdomen 

 much more coarsely and rather more closely punctured, the impressions 

 scarcely as deep. Length 2.0-2.2 mm.; width 0.67 mm. California 

 (locality unrecorded) minor n. sp. 



The sexual characters in this genus are rather feeble but 

 readily observable, the male having the ordinary sparse punc- 



