74 



INTRODUCTION. 



Among other points that may be noticed in the family are the 

 mouth-parts, which are of considerable value in the classification 

 of the various groups. The mentum is trapezoidal, with the 

 anterior part separate ; the ligula is, as a rule, membranous ; in 

 Stenus the ligula, paraglossae, and labial palpi are very slightly 

 jointed with the mentum, and are sometimes, at death, protruded 



stiqm a 



SC-VlteYl 



Fig. 32. — Staphylinus tenebricosus. Upperside (elytra removed) : lbr.,\ohvum ; 

 cl., clypeus ; ones., mesonotum ; eps 2 , epm 2 , episterna and epimera of meso- 

 thorax ; scutell., srmtellum ; met., metanotuin ; postscutell., postseutellum or 

 metanotalscutellum; stigm^, first abdominal stigma; stigm H , last abdominal 

 stigma ; Dj-D^, dorsal segments of the hind body. (After Ganglbauer ; 

 lettering somewhat altered.) 



at the end of a long gullet ; the mandibles are sometimes hard and 

 stout and furnished with at least one strong tooth • sometimes 

 they are finer, sharp, and sickle-shaped ; the maxillae have two 

 lobes, and the maxillary palpi are 4-jointed, with the last joint 

 often very small and subulate ; in Aleochara there is a very minute 

 fifth joint in both the maxillary and labial palpi ; these latter are 



