Mr. J. Walton on the Genus Apion. 4M 



occasionally found it in Yorkshire, the Isle of Wight, and other 

 places, in the months of August and September, invariably on the 

 Lathyrus pratensis : near Bletchingly, in September, both sexes 

 were found rather plentifully by Mr. WoUaston. 



4. A. Limonii, Kirb., Germ., Steph., Schonh. 



The Rev. Mr. Kirby first met with this insect in the sea- 

 marshes at Holme, next the sea, in Norfolk, in the months of July 

 and August, upon the leaves of Statice Limonium. I obtained 

 from this plant several hundreds of this splendid species on the 

 9th of August 1841 at the same locality ; the oldest plants, with 

 decaying leaves, produced by far the greater number of specimens. 



5. A. marchicum, Herbst (1797), Germ., Gyll., Schonh. 



— Spartii, Kirb. (1808), Germ., Steph., Schonh. 



— (var.) Rumicis, Kirb., Germ., Steph. 



— violaceum, Gyll. vol. iii. 



Cure. ( $ ) aterrimus, Linn. (Mus. Linn.), Kirb. (Linn. Trans.). 



I have frequently captured this species in considerable numbers, 

 first in Yorkshire on the Teucrium Scorodonia, and afterwards on 

 Hampstead Heath, in the month of August, from the Rumex 

 Acetosella : having never found it in the south on the Teucrium, 

 I was induced to examine my northern specimens with greater 

 care, but cannot discover any specific difference. Apion mar- 

 chicum takes a wide range of variation, both in form, size and 

 colouring. 



In a series in my possession of about 200 examples there are 

 specimens less than a line in length, and others equal to a line 

 and a half, with intermediate sizes ; some have the elytra of a rich 

 purplish copper colour, in others they are bright green, violet, 

 dark blue, obscurely aeneous, and black ; the breadth of the head 

 varies in both sexes, which is common to many other species of 

 this genus ; the thorax is generally subcylindrical, with the sides 

 nearly straight, and having but little tendency to the globose 

 form which usually characterizes the Apion affine ; the upper sur- 

 face is more or less convex, occasionally somewhat depressed, re- 

 motely punctured, with the impressed point before the scutellum 

 sometimes obsolete; the elytra vary in form, being frequently 

 short-obovate and sometimes long-obovate, and more or less 

 convex : individuals may be selected from a long series where 

 these modifications of form gradually merge into each other, 

 and which, in my opinion, can only be regarded as varieties of 

 a normal form. Germar, Gyllenhal and Schonherr have adopted 

 the name marchicum for this species on the authority of M. 

 Schiippel. The Apion Spartii and Apion Rumicis of Kirby, ac- 

 cording to Germar and Schonherr (to whom I sent specimens), 



