SHORT -WINGED SCAYENGER-BEETLES. 73 



and a remarkably large proportion of them in ants' nests. The habit 

 of raising- the end of the abdomen whilst running, which is sometimes 

 practiced by the larger Staphylini, is almost universal in this sub-family. 

 A compilation of the descriptions of all the known Korth American spe- 

 cies of this group, amounting to eighty-one in number, is published by 

 Mr. James H. B. Bland, in the fourth volume of the Proc. of the Ent. 

 Soc. of Philadelphia. They are arranged in seventeen genera, many of 

 which contain but one, two, or three species. The following six genera 

 contain a very large proportion of them : 



A. Head as wide as the tliorax and attached to it by a distinct neck Falacrta. 



A A. Head narrower than thorax and partly immersed in it. 

 B. Thorax widely hollowed in front for the reception of the head. Antennas filiform and longer 



than to the end of the elytra Atkmeles. 



B B. Thorax not hollowed in front. Antennns not nearly reaching the end of the elytra. 

 C. All the tarsi five jointed; labial palpi four jointed; length an eighth of an inch or more: 



Ai.EOCHARA. 



C C. Anterior tarsi four jointed, the others five jointed; length an eighth of an inch or less. 



D. Labial palpi three jointed; eyes depressed, finely granulated. Color black, or black and 

 brown. 



E. AntenniP slender ; abdomen narrowed in front Tachyusa. 



E E. Antenna; robust ; abdomen not narrowed Homaluta. 



D D. Labial palpi two jointed ; eyes large, convex, coarsely granulated ; color black and light 



yellow G yuopii^;na. 



The anomalous little genus Falcigria, Maun, is placed in this sub-fam- 

 ily by systematists on account of the position of the antennae, and the 

 exposed prothoracic spiracle, though it departs widely from it by its 

 large pedunculated head. They are only about a tenth of an inch long, 

 and of a reddish black color. Atemeles, Stephens, is of much larger size 

 and still more anomalous, and indeed bears no resemblance to the fam- 

 ily of Staphyliuidie except in its shortened wing covers. One ISforth 

 American and three European species are all that are known. They 

 inhabit ants' nests. Our species the A. cava, Lee, is nearly a quarter 

 of an inch long, and one-third part as broad, and wholly of a rust-red 

 color. Aleochara, Grav., contains a few comparatively large species, 

 being usually nearly or quite two-tenths of an inch in length and of a 

 broad oval form. Homalota, Mann, contains a great number of small 

 obscure species, being mostly black, with the elytra often tinted with 

 reddish brown. The little genus Gi/ropJuvna, Mann, contains six de- 

 scribed N. A. species, none of which exceed one line or one-twelfth of an 

 inch in length. The most common species are light yellow, with the 

 head, a part of the elytra, and the tip of the abdomen black ; but some 

 minute species are black varied with reddish-brown. The name Gyroph- 

 cena comes from the Greek guros — a circle, and pliaino — to appear or resem- 

 hie, and alludes to the habits of these little insects of carrying their 

 abdomens forwards on their backs, and at the same time bending their 

 heads under their breasts, so as to resemble a little ball. 



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