1907.] 55 



the distinction given by Gatij^lbauer ; in my series (of over thirty 

 specimens of all species) the dilatation of the front tarsi seems to me 

 very slight, and confined to the first joint ; and the " bristles " on the 

 femora to be represented by a short golden pubescence, to be seen, 

 though in a less degree, in what I take to be the female examples. 

 The punctuation of the elytra appears to me to be the most easily 

 seen character. I have lately, by Mr. G. Lewis' kind permission, 

 studied the types of the Japanese species of this genus described by 

 Dr. Sharp. They are of the L. minutus type, ^. e., the punctures are 

 strong, in distinct regular rows ; there are none of the alutaceus 

 type from that country. Indeed, L. minutus (auct.) seems to be the 

 universally distributed form ; the others to be more or less local in 

 the Palsearctic region. 



It is scarcely correct to say that the sinuatus of Motschulsky 

 has long been identified with this species on " the continent," as the 

 species itself has not long been discriminated. It must not be for- 

 gotten that Stephens (111., Mand. ii, 133) attempted to differentiate 

 the species of Laccohius (^Hydrohius) twenty years before Motschulsky, 

 but relied too much on colour. Thomson, by his names, indicates the 

 character he thought most striking or easily seized, as I have done for 

 L. ohlongus, but though the blackness of the head is a very true and 

 usual character of L. nigriceps, it must not alone be depended upon. 

 In examples I have there is a tendency to paleness on each side im- 

 mediately in front of the eye, which in L. minutus (auct.) becomes a 

 yellow line. The result appears to be that the punctuation of the 

 upper surface combined with the form of the insect, and secondarily 

 its colour, are the characters to be relied upon, if they are indeed to 

 be distinguished as species {cf. Mulsant, Palp., p. 129, 1841 ; Thoms., 

 Skand. Col, ii, 93 ; x, 310, 313 ; Sharp, Ent. Mo. Mag., xxi, p. 85). 



Highcroft, Malvern : 



February 10th, 1907. 



ALGERIAN MICROLEPIDO PTERA. 



BY THE RT. HON. LORD WALSINGHAM, M.A., LL.D., P.R.S., &c. 

 {^Continued from page 10). 



3539 : 1. — SCYTHRIS MABIONELLA, sp. n. 



Antennae minutely ciliate in the <? , with moderate basal pecten ; whitish 

 ochreous at the base, glaucous beyond. Palpi pale ochi'eous ; smooth, the terminal 

 joint equal to the median ; basal joint with projecting ochreous scales. Haustellum 

 very long, scaled with ochreous at the base, naked, fuscous beyond. Head smooth, 



