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Curtiis British Entomology, 



Art. II. Catalogue of Works on Natural History, lately published, 

 ; xjoith some Notice of those considered the most interesting to British 

 Naturalists, 



Britain. 



Curtis* s British Entomology. In 8vo Numbers, monthly. 4^. 6d. coloured. 



Ko. Llll.for May^ contains 



A'^pion difformis ; Coleoptera Ciirculionideae Latr. Leach. The type of 

 this genus is the C^urculio frumentarius Linn., the Corn Weevil. The plant 

 is the ^rassica campestris, or Field-Cabbage. The following character of the 

 genus is given, in order to enable the learner to apply the terms : — 



Antenna; { jig. 59. a a) inserted beneath the ndsus (nose) (6), and before the 

 eyes, not geniculated, and rather long ; , 

 11-jointed, the basal joint being the 

 longest, the remainder varying in 

 length ; the two or three last forming 

 a club more or less fusiform. Labrum 

 (lip, or tip) none. Mandibles (c) horny, 

 convex, bent, tridentate ; the centre 

 tooth forming the apex, a small one 

 arising on the outer, and a very strong 

 one on the inner side. 



Maxilla (d) broad, compressed, 

 forming a large, membraneous, pubes- 

 cent, and ciliated lobe on inner side. 

 Palpi (patters) (e) very short, inserted 

 on outer shoulder ; 3-jointed, first and 

 second quadrate, third scarcely visible. 

 Mentum ( /) obovate- quadrate, 

 horny, producing a bristle on each 

 side. Palpi (g) extremely minute and 

 indistinct, apparently 3-jointed. Lip 

 incurved, membraneous, pubescent. 



Head elongated into a rostrum (A), 

 touching the thorax (i), which is usually broader than the base of the head. 

 Scute'llum very minute, triangular. Elytra (Jc) convex ovate, often twice as 

 broad as the thorax. Legs {I o) long ; thighs {I) robust, subclavate. Tihiceirn) 

 long," not spined. Tarsi (n) four-jointed ; basal and terminal joints the 

 longest, third bilobed. Claws (o) distinct. 



The specific description of A pion difformis is thus given : — 



" Shining, blackish green. Rostrum long, the antennae inserted beyond 

 the middle, fulvous, the base and apex black; second joint very minute; 

 third transverse, compressed, cup-shaped ; fourth robust, scutiform, com- 

 pressed ; four following of nearly equal length, the fifth and sixth being 

 much more robust than the seventh and eighth, the remainder forming a 

 club, the ninth being turbinate and distinctly articulated, the other two 

 being firmly united and conical {p). Head coarsely punctured between the 

 eyes, the basal collar smooth. Thorax subquadrate, narrowed anteriorly, 

 coarsely punctured, with a channel on the back, deepest at the base. Elytra 

 very convex, narrowed towards the apex, with six deep loosely punctured 

 striae on each. Epigastrium with a bifid tooth {q). Legs fulvous, base and 

 apex of thighs and base of anterior tibiae black, with two obscure spines at 

 the apex ; four posterior tibiae (excepting a space above the middle) and 

 the tarsi black. Anterior tarsi, with the basal joint (n), long, and very much 

 produced internally at the apex, which is brown ; posterior tibiae greatly 

 dilated at their apex as well as the tarsi, especially the basal joint." 



Seventy-two British species are enumerated, all of them small. 



Eyes not very promment, nor 



