436 Coleopterological Notices, VI. 



logic deduces the laws of planetaiy motion, or who, by patient 

 and careful weighing discovers a hitherto unknown constituent of 

 our atmosphere. These fields of scientific enquiry are all parts of 

 one grand cosmos, and I cannot conceive one of them to be moi'e 

 soul-inspiring than another; the^' are all equally wonderful, 

 equally beautiful, and equally beyond the ken of finite intellect. 

 NOEFOLK, Va., May 18, 1895. 



STAPHYLINID^. 



C'OXOSOMA Kiaatz. 



This genus is represented in America b}* numerous species, 

 which, because of their comparatively constant and monotonous 

 facies, have gained the reputation of being a difficult lot to deal 

 with systeraaticalh' ; but this is by no means the case in reality. 

 There are several sclerites which are sufficiently' diversified to 

 aflford most satisfactory taxonomic elements, and in fact the 

 species can be separated into two almost equal divisions, based 

 upon radically diflerent t3pes of epipleural structure which can 

 be recognized upon mere cursory examination. The extent of 

 development of the long erect tactile setaj of the abdomen, an- 

 tennal structure, sculpture of the elj'tra and ventral characters of 

 the male can also be employed advantageously in classification, 

 as these all difl'er in a marked and sufficiently constant degree 

 among the various species ; the difference in elytral sculpture be- 

 tween knoxi, bipustulata and parvida, for example, is A'ery pro- 

 nounced. In some cases I have resorted to peculiarities of color- 

 ation for the principal differential character of the species. 



In the following table I have been compelled to add a number 

 of new species to those already known, and to correqt some A'ery 

 inaccurate and misleading synonymy which has been allowed to 

 stand in our recent lists : — 



I. EpipleurtB broader, siiljhorizoutal, pubescent, impressed toward base, but 

 with the outer margiu only descending slightly below the inner. 

 Pronotum abruptly pale in color in basal half, the elytra pale l)ut blackish 



laterally and toward apex 1 . kiioxi 



Pronotum unicoloroiis or only feel)ly and suffusedly pale toward base. 

 Elytra each Avith a large, obliquely o\al pale spot at base. . . 2. littorea 

 Elytra unicolorous or suffusedly pale at base throughout the width. 

 Body blackish in color, the elytra rufous at base 3. opica 



