454 Mr. J. Walton on the Genus Apion. 



Mr. S. Stevens has found this species on very dry banks, but 

 rarely ; Brighton and Arundel in August, Birch Wood in July. 



24. A. stolidum, Germ., Steph. Man. 



— confluens, Gyll., Schonh. 



Apion stolidum of Germar and Apion confluens of Kirby (but 

 not of Gyllenhal and Schonherr) are in fact extremely alike ; va- 

 rieties occur, which in the form of the elytra are difficult to di- 

 stinguish ; nevertheless I think they ought to be given as distinct 

 species ; the former may be distinguished from the latter by its 

 shorter elytra and thorax. I sent several specimens with short 

 elytra to Germar, under the name of Apion confluens of Kirby, 

 and also two larger insects with the elytra elongate, named in 

 doubt Ap. stolidum ? of Germar : the former with short elytra he 

 informed me were the true Ap. stolidum of Germar, and the 

 latter the Ap. stolidum of Schonherr, but previously unknown 

 to him. The two large insects with elongate elytra I have since 

 ascertained, by an examination of the typical specimen, belong to 

 the Ap. confluens of Kirby : beyond this it will be clearly seen 

 that Germar' s description and figure of Ap. stolidum must refer 

 to the species having short elytra. Gyllenhal and Schonterr 

 have reversed the names of the two species, and it is rather re- 

 markable that these authors should have overlooked the import- 

 ant words " coleoptris oblongo-ovatis'^ in Kirby's description, 

 using the terms " elytris ovatis^' as characteristic of Ap. confluens, 

 whilst " elytris oblongo-ovatis'^ forms part of their description of 

 Ap. stolidum. I may add, that Mr. Waterhouse sent to M. Schon- 

 herr two large specimens with the elytra oblong-ovate, and two 

 smaller insects with the elytra short-ovate ; the former were re- 

 turned as Ap. stolidum, and the latter as Ap. confluens. 



Mr. Samuel Stevens has found this species rather plentifully 

 in July and August near Hammersmith Bridge, but, as he informs 

 me, not in company with Ap. confluens. I met with a great num- 

 ber of this species by sweeping in a pasture opposite Juniper Hall; 

 near Mickleham, on the 11th of June. 



25. A. Imvigatum, Kirb., Germ., Steph. 



— brunnipes, Schonh. 



The male of this species is entirely black : the female has the 

 elytra of a rich violet-colour. 



Mr. S. Stevens found a male of this very rare and beautiful 

 species at Birch Wood ; I afterwards fortunately obtained from the 

 same locality several specimens of both sexes, the latter end of 

 August and the beginning of September. 



26. A. ceneum. Fab., Herbst, Marsh., Kirb., Gyll., Germ., Steph., 



Schonh. 

 Cure. (var. /(3.) chalceus, Marsh. 

 Common on mallows (Malva sylvestris) in June. 



