282 Coleopterological Notices, V. 



hand cannot follow the circle exactly, and in like manner is it im- 

 possible for the human brain to correctly interpret nature; we can 

 only approximate. It would of course be perfectly easy to strike a 

 circle wholly within the circumference of fact, but this would be 

 analogous to the rule of thumb by which an engineer may make a 

 structure many times too strong, in order to avoid laborious calcula- 

 tions. It may answer in a certain way, but is not in the spirit of 

 true scientific inquiry. 



New York, Sept. 7, 1893. 



STAPHYLINID^. 



Aleocharini. 



It is unfortunate, having in view the optical means of investiga- 

 tion usually employed, that the Aleocharini are so small in size, for, 

 from all points of view taxonomic and etiologic, they are one of the 

 most interesting groups of little animals on the earth. The extra- 

 ordinary diversity of structure and specialization of type observable 

 among the termitophilous inquilines, are, in a measure, characteristic 

 of the entire tribe, and it is this diversity alone which has given 

 rise to the multitude of generic names which have been proposed. 

 It is impossible to estimate just what proportion of these names is 

 really necessary, but the number of true genera is without doubt 

 proportionally much greater than in any other tribe of Staphylin- 

 idse, possibly excepting the Omalini. This diversity and specializa- 

 tion bespeaks a greater geological antiquity for the Aleocharini than 

 for the other tribes of Staphylinidse, and this is indicated again by 

 the fact that nearly all the associates of the termites, — known to be 

 more ancient than the Coleoptera, — are taken from the tribe under 

 consideration, or the closely related Tachyporini. 



The study of the subarctic Aleocharini of North America has 

 been almost completely neglected thus far, but the species are with- 

 out much doubt as plentiful here as in any other part of the world, 

 and seem to follow the general rule with regard to the Staphylinidse 

 in being more abundant and diversified than in Europe. This is 

 somewhat remarkable, in view of the superior development in that 

 continent of several other large families of Coleoptera, and, as I 

 have before suggested (Col. Not. II, p. 326), seems to point to a 



