Casey — Observations on the Staphylinidae. 389 



6 — Under surface of the head minutely strigllate in close-sat wavy 



lines 6 



Under surface of the head highly polished aud smooth, not strigllate. ... 9 



6 — Dorsal series of the pronotam continuing barely to basal third as in all 



the preceding species 7 



Dorsal series of the pronotum continuing to basal fourth or less; body 

 smaller and more slender, with the cephalic punctures smaller and 

 more close-set and the flattened post- ocular line sometimes less defined 

 at the edges 8 



7 — Body larger, pale rufo-testaceous, the elytra more flavate, the abdomen 



darker and blackish-piceons, the head deep black, the legs and antennae 

 ferruginous; head behind the antennae rather longer than wide, par- 

 allel, the sides feebly arcuate; base truncate, the angles broadly 

 rounded; punctures coarse but smaller than in the preceding species 

 and remarkably sparse even toward the sides, the post-ocular line 

 perfectly fiat throughout, well defined, strongly but not very closely 

 punctate; under surface shining, strongly and sparsely punctate; pro- 

 thorax scarcely a third longer than wide, distinctly narrower than the 

 head, the sides strongly converging and straight, the angles moderately 

 rounded; surface with scarcely a puncture except the dorsal and sub- 

 lateral series, each of 4-5 punctures, and about two others, Isolated 

 and rather larger, well within the apical angles; elytra subquadrate, 

 not quite as long as the prothorax and but little wider, the punctures 

 small but distinct, confused near the suture, elsewhere wanting on the 

 dorsal surface, except a distinct medial series and another exterior and 

 parallel in apical half only and composed of finer punctures; abdomen 

 minutely, sparsely punctulate. Length 6.5 mm.: width 1.0 mm. New 

 York, Virginia, Ohio (Cincinnati) and Lonisiana. l=z sanguinolentus 



Mels.] emmesns Grav. 



Body smaller but larger and stouter than in fusciceps, pale rufo-testaceous 

 In color, the elytra rather more flavate; head black, the abdomen pale 

 red brown throughout; head behind the antennae distinctly elongate, 

 otherwise similar to that of emmesus, except that the punctures toward 

 the sides are much more close -set; prothorax narrower and relatively 

 more elongate, much narrower than the head, similar In sculpture; 

 elytra elongate, only very slightly wider than the prothorax and much 

 narrower tban the head, the punctures coarser and more numerous than 

 in emmesus, similarly llneate on the disk; abdomen distinctly narrower 

 than the elytra, parallel, finely but very conspicuously and asperately 

 punctate, more strongly so than in emmesus. Length 5.8 mm. ; width 

 0.85 mm. Louisiana (Ponchatoula"), — G. W. Bock., .latelventris n. sp. 



8 — Antennae scarcely at all enlarged toward tip, the second and third 



joints equal, both elongate. Body larsrer, pale brownish-testaceous, 

 the legs coacolorous, tue antennae dark red-brown; head piceous- 

 black, longer than wide, the sides almost parallel and very feebly 

 arcuate; basal angles broadly rounded; flattened line behind the eyes 

 rather closely punctured, the punctures of the upper surface deep but 

 only moderately coarse, separated by about twice their own widths 

 toward the sides, those of the under surface flne but strong and sparse; 

 prothorax elongate, rather wider than the head, with two series of 



