the Staphylinidse of Japan. 385 



segment projects further back than the lateral portions, and 

 its hind margin is pectinate with coarse rigid cilia. The 

 female has the central part of the last ventral plate prominent 

 and split in the middle, but the two divided portions are not 

 separated at all from one another, except that each is sepa- 

 rately rounded at the apex, and each rounded part bears 

 about three cilia ; on each side there is a short broad tooth, 

 and the outer angle forms also a short slender tooth ; the 

 last dorsal plate ends in four elongate spines, the external of 

 which, though slender, is broader than the middle spines ; the 

 elongate middle notch is not quite so broad as the rather 

 longer lateral notch. 



Of this remarkably distinct species four individuals have 

 been found. 



Junsai Lake, under reeds, also at Sapporo. 



Tachinus diminutus, n. sp. 



Minimus, niger, nitidus ; antennis fuscis, basi pedibusque rufis ; pro- 



tborace Isevigato ; elytris crebre fortiter punctatis. 

 Long, 3 millim. 



The antennce are rather small and slender, the penultinint'3 

 joint about as long as broad. The thorax is strongly trans- 

 verse, broader than the elytra, its hind margin piceous. The 

 elytra are much longer than the thorax, unicolorous. 



Although I am not able fully to describe this species, owing 

 to two examples only having been found and to their bad 

 preservation, yet it cannot fail to be recognized owing to its small 

 sizCjwhich is far less than that of any other species of the genus. 

 The term.inal dorsal plate in the male is almost unarmed, 

 and the last ventral ends in two elongate, slender, extremely 

 widely separated lacinige. In the female the last dorsal has 

 in the middle two very short obtuse processes, and on each 

 side a slender tooth projecting quite as far back as the median 

 processes; while the terminal ventral |)late has behind four 

 short, nearly equidistant teeth, of which the middle two are 

 ciliated. 



Kiga and Sendai. 



'fci' 



Tachinus punctiventrisj n. sp. 



Nigerrimus, antennis crassiusculis, fulvis, pedibus piceo-rufis ; pro- 

 thorace nitidissimo, subltcvigato ; elytris sparsim profunde punc- 

 tatis, nitidis ; abdomine minus nitido, fortiter profundeque punc- 

 tate, tenuiter pubescente. 



Long. 10 millim. 



