144 Notes on the Species of Stenus 



With regard to Mr. Stephens' collection, it is desirable that it 

 shoidd be known that Mr. Stephens visited Mr. Kirby, and took 

 with him a large number of insects to compare and name, the 

 Stenidce amongst others : further, one of us was informed, by 

 Mr. Stephens, that Kirby furnished him, in many instances, with 

 specimens. The Stephensian collection will therefore furnish a 

 certain amount of assistance to those who are anxious to deter- 

 mine the Kirbyan species ; there are, however, several instances 

 in which the insects, placed to represent the Kirbyan species, 

 differ widely from the Kirbyan types.* Should the foot note at 

 p. 99, vol. V. " Mandibulata," of Mr. Stephens' work, have been 

 overlooked, it will be asked, why not regard the Slap/iylinidce, in 

 Mr, Stephens' collection, as the true types of the species whose 

 names they bear? The answer is contained in the note referred to. 



The descriptions in the "Illustrations," so far as the Kirbian 

 species of Slapliylinidce are concerned, are in fact translations of 

 Kirby 's Latin descriptions, often somewhat abbreviated. That 

 they are abbreviated is to be regretted, and this regret was shared 

 by Mr. Stephens. " / greatly fear," says the author, *' that not- 

 rvithstanding the elaborate descriptions, I shall fall into error in my 

 attempted abridgment of them in order to suit the limits of this 

 work, as I have not sufficient lime to investigate them" i. e. the 

 species of Staphylinidce. 



Having consulted the manuscripts alluded to, and also having 

 carefully examined the Steni in the collections of Kirby, Leach, 

 Wilkin and Stephens, we will now furnish the determination 

 which we have arrived at from these sources, taking the species 

 and sections as they stand in the Kirbian manuscripts. 



been separated from the rest, and has the following note attached : — " Named 

 angustatus, K., quite distinct, not so long and narrow, and smooth." Another 

 specimen, named binotatus, is separated from tiiat species as being " less punc- 

 tured" and having the " tarsi flavescent." Wilkin applies the name Jlnvitarsis to 

 this insect ; the species had, however, been previously named puUitursis by Kirby, 

 and is described by Erichson under the name ■plantaris. Stephens gives it in the 

 " Manual" as var. ? tarsalis. It has the abdomen margined, and therefore cannot 

 be tarsalis. 



* The extremely liberal manner in which Mr. Stephens threw open his col- 

 lections to all Entomologists who wished to consult them is well known. Often 

 on Mr. Stephens' " Wednesday Evenings'' many Entomologists were assembled, 

 each one of whom was engaged in comparing his specimens with those in Mr. Ste- 

 phens' collection. Minute species were necessarily removed from ihe cabinet for 

 this purpose, and it will be preUy evident, under such circumstances, that trans- 

 position of the specimens will sometimes have occuned. 



