Mr. J. Walton on the genus Apion. 339 



being written on the same paper which bears the insect, effectually 

 protects it against every casualty : this evidence is so strong and 

 conclusive, that not a shadow of a doubt can now exist as to its 

 identity. Moreover it agrees with his description in all its na- 

 tural characters ; but the body is covered beneath with whitish 

 mould, which has been noted by the terms " abdomen niveum,^^ 

 when in fact the species has a black, naked body : this error, 

 it is but fair to observe, may well be excused, since, accord- 

 ing to Kirby, Linnseus rarely used a lens. Cure. Trifolii, de- 

 scribed by Marsham (after Linnseus) as having a white abdomen, 

 has long been immolated by Kirby. Schonherr has cited Ap. 

 Trifolii of Linnseus as a mere synonym to Ap. Vicia, because the 

 latter species has a white abdomen ; but Schonherr has injudi- 

 ciously applied the name to a species with very different cha- 

 racters, namely Ap. Trifolii of Lintz. We are informed by Lin- 

 nseus that his insect inhabits Trifolium montanum ; in England it 

 is found abundantly upon Trifolium pratense. I have many times 

 inspected the type of Cure. Trifolii of Linnseus, and have not the 

 slightest doubt of its being a female of Ap. testivum. I sent ex- 

 amples ( c? ? ) of this species to Schonherr, who referred them to 

 Ap.cBstivum of his work. I likewise sent many specimens toGermar, 

 who has recorded his opinion of them as follows : " Ap. cestivum : 

 Kirby^s Ap. assimile is identical* ; the first joint of the antennse 

 is more or less red, and sometimes also the second ;" ^^ but Ap. 

 assimile of Gyllenhal is unknown to me." I cannot concur with 

 Dr. Germar that the British Ap. (jestivum is identical with Kirby's 

 Ap. assimile, because I think they are furnished with characters 

 sufficiently evident to entitle them to rank as distinct species ; 

 certainly the British Ap. (Bstivum occurs with the basal joints of 

 the antennse more or less piceous, but they are generally black, 

 except the first joint, which is red at its base. I must here ob- 

 serve, that specimens of Ap. assimile of Kirby, which I sent to 

 Schonherr, were identified by him as Ap. assimile of Gyllenhal. 

 I also forwarded to Germar examples of the same species. 



I received an insect from Schonherr (sjrmbolized S ) with the 

 name Ap. ruficrus, referred by him to his work (v. p. 407. 100, 

 Germania). I wrote to Germar for specimens of Ap. (jestivum] he 

 sent me an example of " Ap. ruficrus. Germ." Schonherr now 

 appears to regard Ap. ruficrus as distinct from Ap. cBstivum, al- 

 though he has previously cited the former name as a synonym to 

 the latter t ; Germar has recorded that '^ Ap. ruficrus may perhaps 

 be only a variety of Ap. cestivumX.'' 



1 have very carefully examined the German examples of Ap. 

 ruficrus, and have no doubt they are both males of Ap. Trifolii, 



* Ent. Zeit., Stettin, no. 1. p. 4, 1842. 



t Syn. Ins. i. p. 281. no. 70. % Germ. Mag. iii. App. p. 39. 



