COLEOPTEEA. 



STAPHYLINID^. 



The family Staphylinidse probably contains more species than any otbcr 

 family of the Colooptera; it is also one of the most natural and isolated 

 families, but, at the same time, it is one of the most diflicult to work by 

 reason of the great affinity that exists between its members, which 

 renders it no easy matter to find good and striking characters for its sub- 

 division into tribes and genera. 



The chief characters of the family are as follows : — 



Elytra truncate, with a straight suture, never dehiscent, very much 

 abbreviated, so that the greater part of the abdomen or hind body is 

 exposed (except in certain Homaliina) ; wings, when present, completely 

 folded beneath the elytra ; abdomen or hind body composed of seven 

 segments, all freely movable, and all entirely, or almost entirely,* 

 corneous, even Avhen more or less hidden by the elytra. 



The above characters are those which chiefly distinguish the family : 

 its members are often called Brachelytra, but, as other Coleoptera are 

 distinctly brachelytrous, the term is erroneous ; the species, however, 

 belonging to other groups, which have the elytra abbreviated, are distin- 

 guished from the Staphylinidse by differing from them in one or more of 

 the additional characters above mentioned ; the species of Meloe, for 

 instance, have the elytra dehiscent ; in Cercus and other jSTitidulithi?, and 

 also in the Histerida3 and Scaphidiidae, and other more or less evidently 

 brachelytrous Coleoptera, the segments of the abdomen concealed beneath 

 the elytra are membranous and not corneous ; in Molorclms (which has 

 very short elytra, and the segments corneous) the wings are not folded 

 beneath the elytra ; in Mirropeplus, which is still retained by many 

 authors among the Staphylinidai, the abdomen is not freely movable ; 

 and finally in the Pselapliidcie, which in many points are the closest allies 

 of the Staphylinidie, the abdomen is composed of five distinct segments 

 only. 



The following additional characters may also be noticed : — 



Form variable, but as a rule more or less elongate and linear, rarely 

 short and broad. 



Head variable, inserted in the thorax, or exserted and constricted 



* The first segment of the hind boily in the Homalotae, which is ahnost or quite 

 concealed by the elytra, appears lo be stml-niembranous. 



VOL. II. B 



