Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 327 



face narrowly Impressed along the median line behind the middle almost 

 to the base, the fine sparse panctares more distinct near the ba^e; 

 eljtra transverse, a third wider and slightly longer than the pro« 

 thorax, the humeri well exposed at bxse, the sides subparallel, feebly 

 arcuate. Length 1.8 mm. ; width 0.78 mm. District of Columbia. 



polita n. sp. 



Elytra always pale, castaneous or reddish-brown i 



4 — Form stout, parallel, convex, compact, shining, pale castaneous, the 

 head and a subapical cloud on the abdomen black; legs pale, the anten- 

 nae dusky rufous, paler basally; pubiferous punctures flue but evi- 

 dent throughout, rather close, the larger elytral punctures more nume. 

 rous than in polita but less distinct; pubescence moderately long, erect 

 and abundant; head well developed, wider than long, parallel, the eyes 

 well developed ; antennae very thick, gradually Incrassate to the tip, 

 extending nearly to the middle of the elytra, the third joint constricted 

 at base, but slightly elongate and much shorter than the second, the 

 subapical joints strongly transverse; the eleventh obtuse and not quite 

 as long as the preceding two; prothorax strongly transverse, a third 

 wider than the head, fully two-thirds wider than long, widest at apical 

 third, the sides thence strongly convergent and becoming feebly sinuate 

 to the rather prominent basal angles, the surface feebly, indefinably and 

 subtransversely impressed before the middle of the base; elytra barely 

 a fifth wider but fully a third longer than the prothorax , subparallel, 

 the humeri evidently exposed at base; abdomen parallel with arcuate 

 sides, as wide as the elytra, the three basal impressions distinct and 

 subequal as usual, the punctures fine but evident, not very close-set, the 

 surface polished. Length 1.9 mm.; width 0.76 mm. Ohio (Cincin- 

 nati) , — Chas. Dury transversa n. sp. 



Form and coloration nearly as in the preceding, the size larger, the protho- 

 rax more blackish and less transverse, the head and antennae nearly 

 similar, the tenth joint of the latter more evidently longer than the 

 ninth ; elytra less transverse but proportioned and punctured nearly 

 as in transversa. Length 2.1 mm.; width 0.78 ram. District of Co- 

 lumbia compacta Csy. 



Form stout, rather convex, polished, not mlcro-retlculate at any point, pale 

 rufo-castaneous, the head black, the abdomen darker, with a large and 

 very Indefloite subapical black cloud ; legs pale, the antennae black, 

 testaceous toward base and at tip; pubiferous punctures minute and 

 moderately close-set, intermingled with coarse nude punctures on the 

 head, along the entire base of the pronotum and throughout the elytra; 

 pubescence pale, shaggy and conspicuous; head small, nearly as long as 

 wide, arcuateiy narrowed behind the small and prominent anterior eyes, 

 the vertex with a small impression ; antennae extending nearly to the 

 middle of the elytra, gradually becoming very stout distally, the second 

 and third joints both elongate, the latter not constricted at base and but 

 slightly shorter than the second, the subapical joints strongly transverse, 

 the tenth not noticeably longer than the ninth, the eleventh pale, large, 

 obtusely pointed and nearly as long as the preceding three combined; 

 prothorax nearly one-half wider than the head and about two-fifths 

 wider than long, subparallel and broadly rounded at the sides, slightly 



