166 NORTH AMERICAN 



California, 10. 



A remarkable species, apparently quite local. It may at first sight 

 be confounded with tarsalis by the color of the legs and tarsi, but 

 may be distinguished by its peculiar punctuation and sexual charac- 

 ters. It is one of our largest species in this group of Staphylinidae. 

 The genae of the head being visible behind the eyes, renders it dis- 

 tinct from any other occurring in our fauna. 



12. A. amal)ilis n. sp. — Form somewhat slender, sub-cylindrical. 

 Pubescence sparse, evenly distributed, cinereous, and inconspicuous. Entire 

 surface very highly polished. Head moderate in size, robust, not twice as 

 wide as long; interocular surface one-half wider than the eye, flat; sulca- 

 tions almost obsolete; intermediate surface very slightly wider than the 

 lateral portions, very sparsely punctate and very feebly convex ; lateral 

 portions closely and rather coarsely punctate ; ocular lines meeting at about 

 one length in advance, almost exactly straight ; antennae distinctly longer 

 than the width of head, slender, pale piceo-testaceous throughout, very uni- 

 form in color, club small ; third joint about one-fifth longer than the fourth, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth decreasing gradually in length, eighth elongated, 

 slightly more robust than the seventh, joints of club slightly elongated; 

 maxillary palpi long and slender, pale piceo-testaceous, gradually paler 

 toward base. Prothorax arcuately, evenly, and moderately rapidly increas- 

 ing in width to the middle, where it is nearly one-sixth narrower than long ; 

 sides thence rather less rapidly convergent posteriorly and just visibly 

 sinuate ; anterior margin slightly shorter and more arcuate than the poste- 

 rior, the latter nearly straight ; surface transversely and feebly impressed 

 just behind the apex, otherwise evenly and rather strongly convex ; punc- 

 tures small, deeply impressed, close, generally tending to coalesce trans- 

 versely. Elytra at base about as wide as the head ; sides feebly divergent 

 posteriorly, slightly longer than the width at base, moderately arcuate poste- 

 riorly, nearly straight toward the humeri ; together broadly, roundly, and 

 very strongly emarginate behind ; suture about one-eighth longer than the 

 pronotum ; surface rather convex, just visibly and very narrowly impressed 

 on the suture toward the base, rather coarsely and closely punctate ; punc- 

 tures deeply impressed and somewhat unevenly distributed, generally sepa- 

 rated by their own widths ; interspaces very convex. First four abdominal 

 segments nearly equal in width, and but very slightly narrower than the 

 contiguous elytra, cylindrical, feebly constricted at base; border -obsolete ; 

 punctures evenly distributed, close, deeply impressed, equal in size to those 

 of the pronotum ; transverse carinae obscurely and broadly tricuspid. Legs 

 slender, piceous-brown thoughout without variation in tint; first joint of the 

 posterior tarsi much shorter than the next two together ; fifth as long as the 

 first two together ; fourth joints strongly bilobed, lobes long and narrow. 



Mn]( . — Unknown. 



Female. — Sixth ventral segment very broadly and evenly rounded behind. 



Length 3.0* mm. 



