Siiliais.'l staphylinidj:. 307 



relative breadth of the head in comparison with the elytra (on which 

 INIulsant and Rey lay great stress) is not always a very distinct character ; 

 the table below given is formed on a combination of these distinctions, but 

 should not be depended upon in all cases without reference to the more 

 detailed descriptions ; the species are rapid in their movements, as might 

 be expected from their long legs ; they occur in moss, cut grass, and other 

 vegetable refuse, old bottoms of woodstacks, decaying faggots, hotbeds, 

 &c. 



I. Thorax red S. FEAaiLls, Grav. 



II. Thorax black, concolorous. 



i. Legs (except coxhb) unicolorous testaceous or reddish, not 

 darker at knees. 



1. Head evidently transverse, broader than elytra ; elytra 



finely and difl'usely punctured, at all events behind. 



A. Size large ; head scarcely narrowed behind ; legs 



dark red S, rufipes, Germ. 



B. Size smaller ; head strongly narrowed behind ; legs 



testaceous or reddish testaceous S. oebicttlatus, Er. 



2, Head almost orbicular, about as broad as elytra ; 



elytra rather strongly and thickly punctured . . . S. SIMILIS, Er, 

 ii. Legs testaceous, with at least intermediate and posterior 

 knees darker. 



1. Elytra plainly longer than thorax, with apex con- 



colorous, finely and rather closely and distinctly 



punctured ; size larger S. SUBTiLIS, Er. 



2. Elytra only slightly longer than thorax. 



A. Thorax with central smooth line broad and at most 



channelled behind ; elytra with apex very narrowly, 

 but distinctly, testaceous, finely and diffusely 

 punctured ; intermediate and posterior tibiae 

 usually (but not always) dark S. AFFINIS, Er. 



B. Thorax with central smooth line narrow and finely 



channelled throughout ; elytra with apex almost 

 or quite concolorous, closely and strongly punc- 

 tured J kaees only darker S. aENiCTTLATirs, Er. 



S. frag-ilis, Grav. (scufellahis, Mots.). Black, not very shining, 

 with the thorax red ; head suborbicular, rather strongly narrowed behind, 

 much broader than thorax, about as broad as elytra, tinely, thickly, and 

 rather rugosely punctured ; antennae rather short, slightly thickened 

 towards apex, with the penultimate joints about as broad as long, dark 

 red, with apex lighter ; thorax oval, convex^ longer than broad, rather 

 finely, thickly, and rugosely punctured, with a narrow smooth longitudi- 

 nal line in middle ; elytra a little longer and much broader than thorax, 

 black with the posterior angles testaceous, rather finely, thickly, and 

 roughly punctured ; hind body \vith sides somewhat rounded, rather 

 thickly pubescent, very finely and thickly punctured ; legs long, ferru- 

 ginous, more or less pitchy, variable. L. 6 mm. 



Male with the fifth ventral segment of hind body furnished in the 

 middle of its posterior margin with an oblong tubercle surrounded with 

 a semicircle of cilia, sixth with a large deep excavation, of which the 



X 2 



