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 anteriorly narrowing, with rounded sides and obtuse-angular or almost straight 

 hind corners, posterior margin inside these feebly emarginate; elytra most 

 often as long as pronotum, rarely shorter, their posterior margin inside 

 the outer corners most often sharply, sometimes almost angularly incurved; 

 abdomen more or less strongly tapering, sharply margined, at tip distinct- 

 ly bristle-haired; its foremost free dorsal joints not depressed at base, 

 and the fifth distinctly longer than each of the four preceding joints, which 

 are equally long; legs not long; fore- and middle-tarsi 4- jointed, hind tarsi 

 5- jointed, and first joint of these almost twice as long as each of the three 

 following equally long joints. 



itiyllaena species are lively, very agile, small or very small Staphylinids , 

 which all live on damp or very wet ground; several species are numerous in 

 alluvium. In North and Middle Europe about half a score species are found, 

 and of these 5 are heretofore found in this country; a couple of the others, 

 which possibly may be discovered yet, are included in the following. 



Key to the Species. 



1. Body black or brownish-black 2. 



Body reddish-yellow, head and abdomen anteriorly however most often 



brownish-pitch. Elytra shorter than pronotum. L. 2-2.5 mm 



4. M. Irevicornis Matth. 



2. Next-last joints of antennae distinctly longer than broad 3. 



Next-last joints of antennae as broad as long 5. 



3. Elytra as long as pronotum 4. 



iilytra distinctly snorter thi.n pronotuni, L. 2.5-3 mm. :3. f.'. Kraatzi Sharp. 



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