Staphylinidai of the Amazon Valley. 155 



of the Soutli American species of Staphi/linus. I have 

 specimens Avhich I consider conspecific with Amazonian 

 ones, from Nicaragua, Cohimbia and Rio de Janeiro, as 

 well as from intermediate localities. 



8. Staphijimus priscus, n. sp. Capite thoraceque feneis, 

 elytris obscure asneis, obsolete variegatis, abdomine tessel- 

 lato, ano rufo-testaceo. Long. corp. 7 lin. 



]\Ias : abdomine segmento 7° ventrali apice late sed 

 hand profunde emarginato. 



Closely allied to S. antiquus, Xord. ; the thorax not 

 longer than broad, not at all narrowed in front, the pubes- 

 cence of the hind Jjody darker, &c. It resembles Ocypus 

 ciipreus, but is a little broader and less elongate. Antennas 

 reaching half-way back the thorax; first three joints reddish, 

 the rest nearly black ; 2nd and 3rd moderately long, 3rd 

 longer than 2nd; 4tli joint narroAver than the 5th, slightly 

 transverse, 5 — 10 rather strongly so, 11th sinuate at the 

 extremity and pointed on one side. Mandibles pitchy; palpi 

 reddish. Head rather narrower than the thorax (smaller 

 and more triangular in the $ than in the $ ), coarsely but 

 not densely punctured, brassy, the interstices shining ; a 

 very small, narrow space in the middle free ; clothed Avitli 

 a fuscous pubescence. Thorax but little narrower than 

 the elytra, almost straight at the side, about as broad in 

 front as behind, scarcely so long as broad ; coarsely and 

 closely punctured, with a line in front of the scutellum 

 smooth, and with slight traces of the continuation of this 

 in front ; furnished with a dense and fine fuscous pubes- 

 cence. Scutellum velvety black. Elytra about as long 

 as the thorax, not so long as their breadth taken together, 

 dull brassy ; finely pubescent, and very indistinctly tes- 

 sellated. Hind body narrowed at the extremity, pitchy in 

 coloiir, the 7th segment yellowish ; each segment has in 

 the middle, at the base, an indistinct ashy mark, on each 

 side of which the pubescence is more closely placed, so as 

 to appear darker ; besides this tomentum they are clothed 

 also with nimierous coarse hairs of a dark fuscous, nearly 

 black colour. Legs pitchy red. 



Ega ; five specimens ( $ and $ ). 



Obs. — Besides the above-mentioned five individuals, 

 four others from the same locality represent, I believe, a 

 variety ; they are rather smaller, and have the head a little 

 smaller, and the setje of the hind body reddish. In another 



