82 Mr. J. Walton on the genus llhynchites. 



rous insects) named by the late celebrated Major Gyllenhal, with 

 whom the Rev. Mr. Kirby corresponded; and moreover it may 

 be generally regarded, with reference to the British specimens, as 

 furnishing good authority for the Marshamian species. 



The Linnsean and the Banksian collections I have also repeat- 

 edly examined : many of the specimens in the former have names 

 attached in the handwriting of the illustrious naturalist ; and as 

 far as my experience goes, I think with Mr. Kii-by, that a large 

 proportion of the species which Linnseus described may be deter- 

 mined by a reference to his collection. 



Authors cited. 



Linn. Caroli Linnsei Fauna Suecica, 1761. 



J Ann. Caroli a Linrj6 Sy sterna Naturae, 1767. 



Fab. J. C. Fabricii Entomologia Systematica, 1792. 



Fab. J. C. Fabricii idem Supplementum, 1798. 



Fab. J. C. Fabricii Systema Eleutheratorum, 1801. 



Marsh. Entomologia Britannica, auct. T. Marsham, 1802. 



Gyl. Insecta Suecica descripta a L. Gyllenhal, 1808 — 1827. 4 vols. 



Germ. Insectorum Species, auctore E. F. Germar, 1824. 



Curt. British Entomology, by John Curtis. 8 vols. 1823 — 1840. 



Steph. Illustrations of British Entomology (Mandibulata), by J. F. Ste- 

 phens, 1831. vol. iv. 



Schon. Synonymia Insectorum, Genera et Species Curculionidum, a C. J. 

 Schonherr, 1833. 



Steph. Manual of British Coleoptera, by J. F. Stephens, 1839. 



1. Rhynchites Betulce, Linn.^ Herbst., Gyl., Schonh. 

 Attelahus Betulce (Mus. Linn.), Fab., Marsh. 

 — Betula, Mus. Kirb. 

 Deporaus Betulce, Steph. 



Mr. Stephens has erected this single species into a new genus 

 from an alleged difference in the construction of the antennae, and 

 from the males having the posterior femora dilated. I have care- 

 fully examined the structure of the antennae of this and the other 

 species of the genus Rhynchites, but cannot discover a difference 

 of sufficient value to warrant a generic separation : the small fe- 

 males of R. Betulce are closely linked to this genus by R. mega- 

 cephalus not only in habit but in the form of the joints of the an- 

 tennae, and these assimilate with at least a majority of the species ; 

 but others are aberrant. R. pubescens has the seventh and eighth 

 joints of the antennae slender and obconic ; the basal joints of the 

 club (ninth, tenth) long obconic. R. Betuleti has the seventh and 

 the eighth joints stout, transverse or lenticular ; the basal joints 

 of the club robust, transverse or subquadrate ; the long slender an- 

 tennae of the females of R. cequatus and R. ceneovirens also differ 

 considerably from those of R. Populi. These anomalies exist more 

 or less in every long genus of this family of insects, particularly 

 in the genus Otiorhynchus ; but this diversity of structure in the 



