19070 123 



snhulicoln, and such slijj;lit variation as may be noticed in pnlcJicJIics 

 seems to me to be individual and not sexual. Assuming tliat 

 snhulicoln, Boh., is a distinct species, it will be found that this insect 

 is not confined to the Northern countries of Europe, but extends 

 even to the South of France, and has been confused with pitlchcUns 

 by Candcze and other authors. 



T ought to mention that M. du Buysson (Faunc Gallo-Rbenane, 

 Elaterides) treats Crj/pfoliypmis, Esch., as a section only of the genua 

 Ilypnoidus, Stej)h., but he appears to have adopted this course 

 througli what is certainly a wrong interpretation of the structure of 

 the middle coxal cavities in Arctnpiln, Cand., which he treats also as 

 a section intermediate between Ilypnoidas and Cn/pfohtjpnus. 



British Museum, Cromwi-ll Roarl, S.W. : 

 May, 19U7. 



ON MELANOTUS liUFIPES, Herbst, AND 31. CA8TANIPES, Patk. 

 BT E. A. NEWBERT. 



Mclntwtus castitnipcs was first brought forward as new to Britain 

 by Mr. E. W". Jansou (Eut. Ann., lvS5G, S5 : Crafoni/cJ/ns cnstanipes, 

 Payl<.) on the strength oP specimens taken by Mr. Foxcroft at 

 Ranuoch. The same insect was subsequently recorded by Mr. E. C. 

 liye and other collectors from this locality. 



Having long had my doubts as to the specific value of these two 

 so-called species, and Mr. O, E. Janson having very kindly placed at 

 my disposal some of Foxcroft's and Rye's original examples, I sent 

 them to M. Bedel for his opinion, together with the common 

 M. riifipes taken at Highgate, and a very short parallel sided female 

 belonging to Mr. Kidson-Taylor. M. Bedel's opinion is short but 

 conclusive ; he says : " On rcunit actuellement cnstanipes li riifipes, 

 mais il y a 2 formes ; la votre mo parait bien castanipes^ The last 

 edition (190G) of the European Catalogue confirms this synonymy. 



When we consider that the common insect known to us as 

 rufipes is called castanipes on the continent, and that probably 

 specimens of the Rannoch insect sent for confirmation were returned 

 as castnnipes, it is not difiicult to imagine how the error first arose. 



il/. rufipes is very variable in size, and the male is more elongate 

 and less parallel than the female. It may also be remarked that 

 when the insect is taken by sweeping it is much darker in colour 

 than those dug out of stumps, which have never been exposed to the 

 liizht. 



12, Clmicliill Roail, Davtmoulh Park, N.W. : 

 MayJ2.nd, 1907. 



L 2 



