Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 161 



21 — Elytra black, each maculate with rufous apically near the suture... 22 

 Elytra nearly uniform la color throughout or at least never definitely mac- 

 ulate 23 



22 — Form moderately stout, polished, black, the elytra each with a small 



rounded rufous spot near the suture, occupying apical two -fifths to 

 fourth; antennae black throughout, the legs blackish-plceous; head 

 three -fifths to nearly two -thirds as wide as the prothorax, finely but 

 distinctly, sparsely punctate, the antennae moderately incrassate to the 

 tip, nearly as long as the head and prothorax, the second and third 

 joints elongate, subequal, the former slightly the longer, the tenth 

 fully three-fifths wider than long, the eleventh longer than the two 

 preceding combined, stout and subpyrlform; prothorax one- half or 

 more wider than long, the sides distinctly converging from base to apex 

 and somewhat arcuate, the punctures toward the sides fine and some- 

 what sparse but strong and distinct, the sublateral puncture of the pre- 

 ceding section not distinct; elytra well developed, longer than usual 

 at the sides much longer than the sides of the prothorax, the suture 

 fully as long as the median line, the punctures somewhat coarse, deep, 

 only slightly asperate and well separated though not very sparse; ab- 

 domen subparallel, not quite as wide as the elytra, finely, subrugosly 

 and somewhat closely punctured throughout, not more coarsely in the 

 subbasal impressions; hind tarsi very slender, the basal joint about as 

 long as the next two combined. Length 2.5-3.8 mm.; width 0.78-0.98 mm. 

 Entire northern regions of the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pa- 

 cific, apparently extending less to the southward than bimaculata. 



verna Say 

 Form less stout, smaller in size, polished, black, the elytra each with an 

 elongate nubilously rufescent spot in about apical half near the suture; 

 legs and antennae black or piceous-black; head about three-fourths as 

 wide as the prothorax, very finely, sparsely punctate, the antennae one- 

 half longer than the head, somewhat strongly incrassate distally, the 

 second joint long, very much longer than the third; prothorax a third 

 to two- fifths wider than long, the sides rather strongly converging 

 from base to apex and distinctly to feebly arcuate, the punctures very 

 sparse, nearly as in verna but very fine or almost obsolete; elytra some- 

 what shorter than in verna, at the sides scarcely longer than the sides 

 of the prothorax, the suture very distinctly shorter than the median 

 line, the punctures fine but distinct, even, not very close-set; abdomen 

 nearly as wide as the elytra, subparallel, finely, rather sparsely punc- 

 tate, the punctures of the impressions not differing from the others and 

 fully as sparse; impression of the third tergite almost completely 

 obsolete; basal joint of the hind tarsi very short, one-half longer than 

 the second and barely three -fourths as long as the fifth. Length 1.4- 

 2.25 mm.; width 0.55-0.63 mm, California (San Francisco to Pomona) 

 and Iowa minnta n. sp. 



23 — Form moderately stout, parallel, polished, deep black, the abdomen 



not paler at tip, the elytra pale rufous, feebly clouded with blackish on 

 the fianks and toward the scutellum; legs piceous-black, the antennae 

 black throughout; head nearly three-fifths as wide as the prothorax, 

 remotely and obsoletely punctate, the antennae somewhat longer than 



