306 Mr. J. Walton on the genera 



inclined to consider both varieties of the same insect, and I think 

 their numerous varieties may be subdivided as follows : — 



a. With a distinct black sutural stripe at the base : St. illibatuSj 



Schonh. ; Coryli, Fab. and Steph. 

 h. Somewhat smaller, of an uniform brown or gray : St. Coryliy 



Schonh., Gyll. ; obesus, Marsh., Steph., and cognatus, Steph. 

 c. Still smaller, the elytra marked with white at the sides : St. 



cervinus, Fab. ; asperifoliarum, Steph. ; nebulosus, Steph. ; ru- 



fipesj Steph. ; atomarius of Marsh, and Steph. ^^ 



I have examined some hundreds of Stroph. Corylij and I have 

 never seen a specimen without the black stripe at the base of the 

 suture ; I am therefore inclined to think it is a constant character, 

 and not the result of abrasion ; nevertheless it may always be di- 

 stinguished by the more solid characters of form and sculpture ; 

 the elytra are of a different and less variable form than obesus ; 

 the humeral angles more prominent, subrectangular, abruptly 

 rounded and narrowed towards the base, the sides from the 

 shoulders to beyond the middle nearly straight ; in obesus the 

 form is nearly oval ; in Coryli the thorax is coarsely granulate- 

 rugose, with a narrow dorsal channel sometimes obsolete ; in 

 obesus it is rugulose-punctate and not channeled; the strise on 

 the elytra of the former are distinctly broader and deeper than in 

 the latter, the interstices more convex, and the sixth from the 

 suture elevated behind the middle ; these differences of sculpture 

 are remarkably distinct in denuded specimens. It is a larger in- 

 sect and not so variable in size ; and although specimens of obesus 

 attain the magnitude of Coryli, yet the greater part of the former 

 are considerably smaller than the least of the latter. 



Very common on the birch and hazel. 



2. Strophosomus obesus j Marsh. 



— rujipes, Steph. 



— suhrotundus. Marsh., Kirb. MSB. 



— asperifoliarum, Steph., non Kirb. MSS. 



— atomarius, Marsh. 



— cognatus, Steph. 



— nigricans, Steph., non Kirby. 



— nebulosus, Steph. 



Cure. Coryli, Payk., Gyll., Schonh., Germ. var. b, c. 



— obesus (var. ^.), Kirb. MSS. 



I have recently examined an authentic specimen of Cure, sub- 

 rotundus from the collection of Marsham, which agrees exactly 

 with his description, and I have likewise examined another in the 

 collection of Kirby ; these I have no doubt are large varieties of 

 this species ; Cure, atomarius, according to a specimen from the 

 late Mr, Marsham^s cabinet and which agrees with his descrip- 



