THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



species, should be made to the two papers mentioned for more minute 

 characters. 



B. obtusus Blanch. — This species was bred from hazelnuts alone. The 

 first example was seen June 25th, and the last July 20th. From about 

 one-third pint of nuts 24 specimens were obtained, the size and colour 

 of which were nearly uniform. Compared with uniformis, this species is 

 of a more robust facies ; the claw appendices are broader ; the beak of 

 both ^ and $ is much thicker and black altogether, or at least to the 

 insertion of the antennae, the base being in both sexes punctured, 

 and in the ^ more or less striated. The scape of the antenna of the ? 

 is equal in length to that of three of the succeeding joints of the funicle 

 combined ; the femoral tooth is stronger than in uniformis, with the 

 posterior edge oblique and less sinuate : the last ventral of the ? is rounded 

 at tip and strongly pubescent ; not at all impressed as in the preceding. 

 The differences are somewhat comparative, but in the absence of more 

 salient points, this is about all that can be done by description. This 

 species in nature seems to be short lived, as I have never obtained it by 

 beating previous to June 20th, nor after July 15th ; till about this time 

 the shell of the nut is soft and easily pierced ; the puncture for the egg is 

 made directly through the involucre and shell into the kernel near its 

 base. 



There is a nondescript form of Balaninus which I did not raise, of 

 which about thirty examples were taken in June with nasicus in beating 

 oak by Mr. Klages in Westmoreland County, and about a dozen others 

 were received from Mr. S. Auxer, of Lancaster, Pa. It seems to be allied 

 to obtusus, uniformis and nasicus, but cannot well be assigned to either. 

 The form, density of vestiture, shape of the elytra and colour are the same 

 as in nasicus, but the femoral tooth is much smaller and oblique, and the 

 beak of the $ does not often exceed two-thirds the length of the body ; 

 this last character groups it with uniformis and obtusus, with the former 

 of which it agrees in having the claw appendices acute, but differs by 

 having the beak thickened and punctured at base in both sexes like in 

 obtusus, by the longer antennal scape of the ?, which is equal to at least 

 the three first joints of the funicle (in uniformis to joints one and two), 

 and by the denser covering of hair-like scales and less robust form of 

 body; the fem:ral tooth is a little larger, oblique and less sinuate 

 posteriorly. From obtusus it differs by the claw appendages being acute 



