SHORT -WINGED SCAVENGER-BEETLES. 73 



and a remarkably large proportion of theiu in ants' nests. The habit 

 of raising tlie end of the abdomen whilst running, which is sometimes 

 practiced by the larger Staphylini, is almost universal in this sub-family. 

 A compilation of the descriptions of all the known Xorth American spe- 

 cies of this group, amounting to eighty-one in number, is published by 

 ]\Ir. James II. B. liland, in the fourth volume of the Proc. of the Ent. 

 Soc. of Philadelphia. They are arranged in seventeen genera, many of 

 whicli contain but one, two, or three species. The following six genera 

 contain a very large proportion of them : 



A. llcad as wiilo as the thorax and attachoil to it by a distiuct nock FALAf;iiiA. 



A A. Head narrower than tliorax and partly inmierst-d in it. 

 B. Thorax widely hollowed in front for the reception of the hood. Antennsc filiform and longer 



than to the end of the elytra Atemeles. 



B B. Thorax not hollowed in front. Antennae not nearly reaching the end of the elytra. 

 C. All the tarsi five jointed; labial palpi four jointed; length an eighth of ;in inch or more: 



Ai.EOCHARA. 



C C. Anterior tarsi fonr jointed, the others five jointed ; length an eighth of an inch or less, 

 n. Labial palpi three jointed; eyes depressed, finely granulated. Color black, or black and 

 brown. 



E. Antenna- slender ; abdomen narrowed iii front Tachvusa. 



E E. Anteunie robust; abdomen not narrowed Homalota. 



1) 1). Labial palpi two jointed ; eyes large, convex, coarsely granulated ; color black and light 

 yellow G VKor II a;n A. 



The anomalous little genus Falagria, Mann, is placed in this sub-fam- 

 ily b^' systematists on account of the i)osition of the antenna', and the 

 exposed prothoracic spiracle, though it departs widely from it by its 

 large pedunculated head. They are only about a tenth of an inch long, 

 and of a reddish black color. Atemeles, Stephens, is of much larger size 

 and still more anomalous, and indeed bears no resemblance to the fam- 

 ily of Staphylinidai except in its shortened wing covers. One ]^orth 

 American and three European species are all that are known. They 

 inhabit ants' nests. Our species the A. cava, Lee, is nearly a quarter 

 of an inch long, and one third part as broad, and wholly of a rust-red 

 color. Ah'ocham, Grav., contains a few comparatively large sjiecies, 

 being usually nearly or (juite two-tenths of an inch in length and of a 

 broad oval form. Honialofa, Mann, contains a great number of small 

 obscHie species, being mostly black, with the elytra often tinted with 

 retldiJ^h brown. Tiie little genus (tijropJui'na, Mann, contains six »le- 

 scribed X. A. species, none of which exceed one line or one-twelfth of an 

 inch in length. The most common species are light yellow, with the 

 head, a part of the elytra, and the tip of the abdomen black ; but some 

 minute species are black varied with reddish-brown. The name Gyroph- 

 ana comes from the Greek guros — a circle, and pliaino — to appear or rcM'm- 

 hJe, and alludes to the habits of these little insects of carrying their 

 abdomens forwards on their backs, and at the same time bending their 

 heads luider their breasts, so as to resemble a little ball. 



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