170 MODERN CLASSIFICATION OF INSECTS. 



mily Into four sections: 1. Fissilabres (Staphylinus, &c.) ; 2. Longi- 

 palpi (Paederus, Stenus, &c.) ; 3. Applati (Oxytelus, Omalium, Aleo- 

 chara, &c.) ; and 4. Microcephali (Tachinus, Tachyporus, &c.) : the 

 Pselaphi, although considevf.d as allied to Aleochara, being formed into 

 the last primary group in the order, and named Dimera, from the 

 tarsi being erroneously regarded as having only two joints. These 

 sections were adopted as families by Mr. MacLeay in the Annulosa 

 Javanica, with the observation, " The apparently dimerous tarsi of 

 the Pselaphidae are not of themselves sufficient to throw these insects 

 out of the stirps ; for we may perceive the articulations of the tarsi to 

 disappear in Oxytelus, and several genera of the neighbouring family, 

 which the tarsal system, with its usual inconsistency, places widely 

 apart from the Pselaphidae." In my Memoir upon the Brachelytra, 

 published in 1827, I suggested that Aleochara ought to be intro- 

 duced into the same family as Tachinus ; and that Oxytelus and its 

 allies, and Elonium, Omalium, &c. ought to form distinct sections. In 

 the second edition of the Re gne Animal, 1829, Latreille added another 

 section for the reception of Oxytelus, &c., under the name of Den- 

 ticrura. The primary division of the order, Dimera, was abolished ; 

 but the Pselaphi were still placed at the end of the order, as a family 

 of Trimerous beetles. In 1830, Mannerheim published a Memoir 

 upon the Brachelytra ; wherein he proposed six sections, named Sta- 

 phylinides, Stenides, Oxytelides, Omalides, Tachinides, and Aleocha- 

 rides, omitting the Pselaphi. Mr. Stephens followed Mr. MacLeay, 

 adopting five family groups ; namely, Pselaphidae, Tachyporidae, Sta- 

 phylinidae, Stenidae, and Omalid^, placing the Aleocharse in the se- 

 cond family, and the Oxyteli with the Stenidae. As these stirps do 

 not, however, appear to be consistent with nature, I have adopted the 

 later views of Latreille ; placing, however, the Aleocharee with the 

 Tachyporidae, and considering these groups, with Mannerheim, as 

 tribes or subfamilies, named after the chief genus in each ; to which 

 the Pselaphi must also be added, as a sixth subfamily. 



The first of these subfamilies, Staphylinides7)!/«???«. (FissilabraZ«/r., 

 Staphylinidae MacL. and Sfep/i.), comprises the largest species in the 

 family (Jfff. 15. l. Staphylinus erythroptcrus L.) ; and which are 

 characterised by the large size of the head, which is porrected, 

 and formed behind into a narrow neck ; the thorax is quadrate or 

 subovate, sometimes rounded or cordate-truncate. The upper lip 



