342 Cicindela hybrida, Linn. 



not far from Seftingen, in the canton of Bern, in the beginning 

 of April, 1838, a fine specimen of the Capricorn was caught, 

 but restored to liberty, in consequence of the legal enactments. 

 A Swiss locality where this rare animal is still said to breed, 

 is the forest of the Gournigel, near Bern. 



SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 



Cicindela hybrida, Linn. — The greatest confusion exists 

 in modern entomological works, respecting this species of fly- 

 ing beetles ; (see Stephens' ' Illustr. Brit. Ent.' vol. i. pp. 8, 

 18, and 175; and vol. v. p. 366: Curtis, 'Brit. Ent.' No. 1, 

 second edition: Andouin and Brulle, 'Hist. Nat. Ins. Cole- 

 opt. 1. livr. 1.; Laporte in Selberm. 'Rev. Entomol.' No 7. 

 and ' Hist. Anim. Artie.' ; Klug, f Jahrbucher,' 1834 ; Erich- 

 son, 'Kafer Mark Brandenburg'). According, however, to the 

 Linnaean specimen of this species, preserved in the collection 

 of Linnaeus, in the possession of the Linnean Society, and 

 ticketed in the hand-writing of Linnaeus himself, the species 

 is identical with that to which Dejean has doubtingly assign- 

 ed the name of C. hybrida, and which Stephens has describ- 

 ed under the name of C. riparia. Moreover, the Linnaean 

 cabinet does not contain a specimen of the species which Sow- 

 erby figured under the name of C. hybrida, and which has 

 been described by the French authors under the name of C 

 maritima. 



By the side of the Linnaean specimen are placed, (as though 

 regarded as the same species), a copper-coloured specimen of 

 the small C. sinuata, Fabr. ('Col. d'Eur.' t. 4, f. 6), and also 

 a specimen of a third species, as large as C. campestria, of a 

 dark greenish black colour, with markings like C. riparia, 

 and ticketed in a more recent hand, "Mt. Simpelon, Alps; 

 Dr. Young." These two specimens, and more particularly 

 the latter, have in all probability been introduced into the 

 cabinet since the death of Linnaeus, by Sir J. E. Smith, its 

 late possessor. In the Benksian cabinet, (the insects in which 

 were named by Fabricius), at the Linnean Society, a speci- 

 men of the species figured by me, is also named hybrida. — 

 This species was first introduced into the British lists by Mr. 

 Stephens, under the name of riparia, in the first number of 

 his ' Illustrations,' and in the second number he describes, 

 under the name of C. aprica, another supposed species, which 

 he doubtingly considered might possibly be an extreme vari- 

 ety of the former ; more recently, (Appendix to vol. v.), his 

 opinion upon this subject appears to have been confirmed, 

 and indeed some of the French authors regard, not only apri- 



