April, 1844.] 37 



two basal joints testaceous : head suborbiculate, narrower than the thorax, deep 

 black and very shining; four transversely placed punctures between the eyes, 

 the other ordinary punctures almost obsolete : palpi dusky testaceous: thorax 

 some narrower than the elytra, slightly contracted before, base with the poste- 

 rior angles rounded, sides subparallel, apex truncate, with the anterior angles 

 rounded and deflexed ; deep black and highly polished and somewhat piceous ; 

 six dorsal punctures, or three in each row ; lateral punctures few : scutel pi- 

 ceous, minutely punctured : elytra longer than the thorax, brown, paler towards 

 the apex; densely and transversely rugosely punctured; pubescent: wings 

 hyaline: abdomen black, minutely punctured; pubescent: feet testaceous. 



Var. b. Head deep black; thorax pale reddish-blown-pireous ; elytra pale 

 brown ; abdomen similarly colored, with the posterior margins of the ventral 

 segments rufous. — Staphylinus palleolus, Melsh. MS. 



5, P. brevis. Short, black; feet testaceous; five dorsal punctures. — 2£ 1. 

 long. Pennsylvania. 



Staphylinus dimidiatus, Say, Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc. IV. p. 450. 6. 



brevis, Melsh. MS. 



Wide for its length. Antennae scarcely longer than the thorax; third joint 

 very slightly longer than the second ; joints 4 — 10 equal in thickness, terminal 

 obliquely emarginate at tip; fuscous, two basal joints rufo-testaceous, terminal 

 joint slightly ferruginous: head orbiculate, slightly narrower than the thorax, 

 black, glossy; a few punctures above and behind, and the ordinary ones between 

 the eyes : mouth dusky testaceous : thorax somewhat narrower than the elytra: 

 base with the posterior angles obtusely rounded; sides parallel; apex truncate, 

 with anterior angles rounded and hardly deflexed; dark reddish-brown-piceous, 

 glossy; ten dorsal punctures or five in each series ; lateral punctures about four 

 or five: scutel pitchy-black, punctured: elytra slightly longer than the thorax, 

 fuscous, finely and densely punctured, and almost imperceptibly pubescent; 

 wings dusky white: abdomen minutely and confertly punctured, and densely 

 pubescent ; posterior margins of ventral segments broadly rufous : feet rufo- 

 testaceous: postpectus color of the elytra. 



If Gravenhorst did not state that the elytra of his anthrax were destitute of 

 pile I should not hesitate to consider the above species to be the same. The 

 name dimidiatus is preoccupied in this genus. 



6. P. cinctutus. Elytra, basal joint of the antennae and feet, pale testa- 

 ceous ; thorax and abdomen reddish-brown, the former with five dorsal punc- 

 tures. — 2 1. long. Pennsylvania. 



Staphylinus cinctutus, Melsh. Catal. 1306. 



Head orbiculate, slightly narrower than the thorax, black, glossy, with the 

 ordinary punctures between and behind the eyes: antennse fuscous, two basal 

 joints testaceous: palpi and mouth dusky testaceous: thorax almost as wide 

 as the base of the elytra, slightly narrowed and truncated before ; sides subrec- 

 tilinear; base with the posterior angles obtusely rounded; anterior angles 

 slightly deflexed ; dark reddish-brown, glossy; dorsal punctures, in the present 

 specimen, five punctures in the right series, and four in the left: lateral punc- 

 tures about five: scutel color of the thorax, punctured : elytra pale testaceous, 

 hardly longer than the thorax, very minutely and not densely punctured ; pu- 



