Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 171 



unusually slender toward base, the second and third joints equal; 

 punctures fine and obscure; prothorax equally finely but rather closely 

 punctate^ scarcely one-half wider than the head, about a fourth wider 

 than long, the sides subparallel, evenly and distinctly arcuate, the base 

 arcuate, the angles very obtuse but distinct; elytra obviously wider than 

 the prothorax, the sides distinctly longer than those of the latter, the 

 suture four- fifths as long as the median line, the punctures very fine 

 bat close-set; abdomen about as wide as the elytra, finely and moder- 

 ately closely punctured almost to the bases of the tergites; mesosternal 

 process narrower than in valida and allies, truncate or feebly sinuate at 

 tip, abutting against the truncate and unemarginate apex of the meta- 

 sternum; hind tarsi fully three-fourths as long as ihe tibiae, the basal 

 joint one-half longer than the second. Length 3.8-5.0 mm.; width 



0.78-1.2 mm. Arizona (Benson) and California puberula Csy. 



Body just visibly stouter and less parallel, black, the elytra and antennae 

 dark piceous, the latter toward base and the legs paler, testaceous; 

 pubescence rather shorter, finer and less conspicuous; head not orbicu 

 lar and much narrower, only slightly narrowed from the eyes to the base, 

 with the sides scarcelv at all arcuate, the surface opaque except broadly 

 along the base, where it becomes abruptly shining and with dense 

 asperate punctures except at the sides; antennae nearly similar, 

 strongly incrassate distally but with the second joint not quite 

 as long as the third, although subequal; prothorax rather small, 

 about a fifth wider than long, the sides parallel, evenly and more 

 strongly arcuate, the angles obtuse but distinct, the punctures 

 very fine, rather close-set, but indistinct, the surface opaque; 

 elytra less opaque, fiaely but strongly, closely punctured, much wider 

 than the prothorax, the sides equal in length to the sides of the latter, 

 the suture four-fifths as long as the median line; abdomen polished, 

 broader than in puberula, as wide as the elytra, very finely, rather 

 sparsely punctured almo&t throughout, the punctures becoming close - 

 set toward base; hind tarsi fully three- fourths as long as the tibiae, 

 the basal joint a little less than one-half longer than the second and 

 about two-thirds as long as the fifth. Length 3.8 mm. ; width 0.92 mm. 

 California (Arrowhead) basalis n. sp. 



The species above described range themselves into three 

 rather well defined groups, the first and last of which are 

 closely allied, though separated in the table by the second for 

 convenience in identification. The first group consists of 

 decipiens alone, having moderately broad meso- and meta- 

 sternal processes, coming together on a straight transverse 

 line, heavy antennae like those of the second group and 

 having a similarly short second joint, distinct basal angles of 

 the prothorax and abdomen punctured almost throughout. 

 The second group includes the species from valida to i^uji- 



