1865.] 301 



Compiled descriptions of North American STAPHYLINIDJE. 



BY JAMES H B. BLAND. 



(Communicated May 8th, 1865.) 



The Papers which I propose to publish under the above title, will 

 be composed merely of compilations of descriptions of North American 

 Staphylinidx enumerated in Dr. LeConte's "List of the Coleoptera of 

 North America" published in 1863 by the Smithsonian Institution. 

 The original descriptions are scattered through various works, some of 

 which are difficult of access, and most of them published in a foreign 

 language. The object is, therefore, to place before the student the 

 descriptions in our own language, wherein he may more readily deter- 

 mine the species, and as it may be a long time before a monograph of 

 our species of this large Family will be published, it is hoped that the 

 publication of these papers will prove of some assistance to the student 

 of Coleoptera. 



The characters of the Subfamilies, Tribes, Groups, and Genera, are 

 taken from Dr. LeConte's excellent Classification of Coleoptera, and the 

 authority for the descriptions is given at the end of each. 



Sub-Fam. 1— STAPH YLINIDJE. 



Anterior coxje prominent; anterior coxal cavities open behind. 



Tribe 1. — Aleocharini. 

 Prothoracic stigmata visible; antennae, inserted upon the front, at 

 the internal margin of the ej/es. 



Group I. — Aleocharae.- — Internal lobe of the maxillse membranous internally, 

 and ciliate: eyes not prominent; third joint of maxillary jialpi moderately 

 elongated. 



A. — Anterior tarsi i-jointed ; middle and hind tarsi 5-jointed. 



* Head constricted behind into a narrow neck: first joint of hind tarsi 

 elongated : thorax cordate, usually deeply channelled. 



Genus 1— FALAGRIA. Mann. 

 1. Falagria dissecta. Erich. 



Falagria dissecta, Erich. Staph, p. 49. 2. 

 Nigro-piceous ; thorax subcordate, scutellum deeply channelled ; ely- 

 tra transverse, finely punctured. Length 1 Hue. 

 Hub. — Pennsylvania. 



Nigro-piceous, shining, clothed with short, fine, greyish subsericeous 

 pubescence. Antennae as long as the head and thorax, thickened, nigro- 



