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Staphylinidæ.
63

dark testaceous, broadly and indefinitely clouded with blackish except basally and at apex, the legs pale; head large, subquadrate, wider than long, the eyes prominent, at much more than their own length from the base and in the same longitudinal line with the feebly rounded tempora, the carinæ a little longer than in the two preceding but extremely feeble and obsolescent; antennæ differing greatly, a little longer, stout, gradually distinctly incrassate, dark brown, the first joint stouter but equal in length to the second, the latter but little longer than the third, which is narrowed basally but not constricted, the outer joints distinctly but less strongly transverse, the last more pointed; prothorax moderately transverse, just visibly widest before the median line feebly and evanescently impressed; elytra slightly shorter than wide, truncate, much longer than the prothorax; abdomen much narrower than the elytra, feebly narrowed apically, with the usual thin margins, the fifth tergite not notably long, the sexual characters feeble. Length 1.7 mm.; width 0.38 mm. Rhode Island (Boston Neck).

This species is well differentiated by its large subquadrate head, coloration and antennal characters; the sunken ridge extending anteriorly from the extremely short and broadly subangulate metasternum is narrow and sublaminiform, the four basal joints of the hind tarsi equal.

Atheta (Hilara) nugator n. sp.—Smaller, not parallel, similar in sculpture, the vestiture very inconspicuous, not at all dense; color rufo-piceous, the elytra darker than the prothorax; head and abdomen black, the latter dark rufous apically and through the two basal segments, the legs very pale; head small, very shining, about as long as wide, the eyes convex, at more than their own length from the base, the tempora much less prominent, parallel and then broadly rounding, the carinæ as in unigena; antennæ rather short and stout but only very feebly incrassate distally, piceous, faintly paler basally, the basal joint stout and much longer than the second, which is two-thirds longer than wide and much longer than the third, the latter only a little longer than wide, obconic, with straight sides but not at all constricted basally, the outer joints only very moderately transverse; prothorax nearly as in validiceps throughout but much wider than the head, distinctly narrower than the elytra, which are shorter than in the preceding species, transverse, the suture evidently though not greatly longer than the prothorax; abdomen relatively broader and only a little narrower than the elytra, otherwise nearly as in validiceps, the metasternal projection much more advanced and acutely angulate. Length 1.65 mm.; width 0.33 mm. Rhode Island (Boston Neck).

Readily distinguishable by its smaller size, very much smaller head and retracted tempora.

Atheta (Hilara) libens n. sp.—Similar in sculpture, lustre, pubescence and coloration to validiceps, the head large but more transverse and differing