Casey — Observatix)ns on the Staphylinidae. 275 



tending behind basal third of the elytra and still stouter, the outer joints 

 rather strongly transverse; prothorax similar in form but with the sub- 

 basal impression small and very feeble; elytra similar, the sutural bead 

 very fine but distinct, the surface as usual not impressed behind the 

 scutellum; abdomen parallel, slightly narrower than the elytra, the 

 sides slightly arcuate. Length 2.7 mm. ; width 0.85 mm. Texas, — 

 H. F. Wickham texana n. sp. 



The male sexual characters are very distinct and interesting, 

 the elytra in suturalis being thrown up in a strong narrow ridge 

 at each side of the suture from near basal third to the apex, 

 the fifth tergite having two fine longitudinal carinae, approxi- 

 mate and posteriorly converging in somewhat more than apical 

 half, with a shorter carina at each side much more distant 

 from either of the median carinae than the latter are from 

 each other. In tristigma the elytra are similarly but more 

 feebly elevated along the suture in posterior half only and 

 the four carinae of the fifth tergite are shorter, subequidistant 

 and less unequal in length among themselves, the sixth broadly 

 sinuate throughout the width at tip, the edge of the sinus 

 with small porrect and widely spaced spinules, each bearing 

 the small stiff seta peculiar to the present group of genera. 

 Texana is at present represented by the female only. The 

 Homalota trimaculata, of Erichson, is evidently a Pleuro- 

 tobia allied to tristigma, but differing in having the sides of 

 the prothorax piceous ; the elytral spots are also smaller and 

 more rounded, judging by the language of the description. 



Subtribe Gyrophaenae. 



This group is one of the most specialized of the Bolitochar- 

 ini and is composed of a moderate number of genera and 

 very numerous species, inhabiting stemmed fungi of many 

 genera, but rather unequally diffused over the northern hemi- 

 sphere, this distribution doubtless depending directly upon 

 the relative abundance of the more highly organized fungi. 

 In North America the subtribe is extremely abundant every- 

 where, except in the regions bordering upon the Pacific 

 Ocean, where it is comparatively rare, and, although 

 known at present by one or two species in the northern parts 



