2 BULLETIN 18 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Comparative Zoology, and about 1,500 in the United States Na- 

 tional Museum. Several smaller collections were also studied, yield- 

 ing valuable additions to the series. These are listed in a later para- 

 graph. For comparisons and the drawing up of keys and diagnoses 

 many specimens from other parts of the New World were studied. 

 These were principally in the United States National Museum but 

 were partly from the collections mentioned above. 



The study has included 91 genera (6 of them new) and 468 spe- 

 cies (exclusive of the Aleocharinae). Of these, 329 species were rep- 

 resented by type material in some of the collections examined. New 

 species (which were also included in the above 329) numbered 212. 

 We collected at least 179 species in the West Indies, including nearly 

 half of the 212 new species. Only 34 species were not represented 

 in material examined by me, and about half of these were in genera 

 that were not studied in detail {Palaminns in particular). 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



This study was made possible by the Smithsonian Institution 

 through the Walter Kathbone Bacon Scholarship and the facilities 

 of the United States National Museum. It was carried out with 

 the assistance of Dr. Edward A, Chapin, curator of the division 

 of insects, without whose constant advice and encouragement it could 

 never have been completed in the time available. 



It would have been impossible to make positive identifications of 

 many species, or to have included many others at all, without the 

 cooperation of the British Museum (Natural History). G. J. Ar- 

 row, curator of Coleoptera, kindly made it possible for me to study 

 the numerous types in the collections of the Museum and was of spe- 

 cial help in arranging for the loan of a considerable number of speci- 

 mens. This enabled me to compare them directly with the series at 

 the United States National Museum and to draw up descriptions for 

 which there was not time during the brief stay in England. Dr. 

 W. R. Thompson, of the Imperial Institute of Entomology, was also 

 of much help to me during my studies at the British Museum. 



Many species of West Indian Staphylinidae have been described 

 by Dr. Malcolm Cameron, who lives in a suburb of London. A large 

 number of the types of these species are in his own extensive collec- 

 tion. Dr. Cameron generously allowed me to study these, giving 

 much of his time to assist me. The study of this collection saved 

 me from many omissions and mistakes, and the privilege is grate- 

 fully acknowledged. Dr. Cameron in addition generously donated 

 a large series of specimens from among his duplicates to aid the 

 work. 



