1904.] 279 



the insects referred to by Messrs. Porritt and Tiitt arc certainly not <Aom/)«o«t; 

 and I would ask botli to suspend judgment until they have actually seen the new 

 variety. 



Mr. Porritt says : "The name of either a type or a variety includes of course a 

 certain range of variation." Of course it does, and I should say the insects described 

 by himself and Mr. Tutt are intermediates between robsoni and thompsoni. The 

 two varietal names, however, mark culminating points in the variation of Aplevta 

 nehulosa. And then he continues, " If we are to have a distinct name applied to 

 every specimen which differs from the original type, by a slight mark or shade of 

 colour, where are we going to end ? " Well, he might ask the sponsors of many 

 other insects which have received varietal names. 



In closing my remarks upon this beautiful and striking variety, let me say it is 

 a matter of some gratification to recollect that, as far as I know, there are only two 

 dissentients. Everything possible was done so that the name thompsoni could be 

 fairly given. Parenthetically, I am not responsible for coupling Mr. Tutt's name 

 with robsoni in my description. The error is regrettable, but not mine.* As to 

 the geographical distribution of rohsoni, my statement is not a " haphazard " one, 

 and I am prepared to give data to prove my conclusions. 



I have a great desire to withhold the name of the writer of a letter I received 

 on these matters, dated July 7th, 1904, but a couple of lines from the letter — "I 

 am quite clear that this {thompsoni) is not the form that was called robsoni," may 

 perhaps be quoted. — J. Aekle, 2, George Street, Chester: Nov. 4th, 1904. 



Further captures of Coleoptera in Berkshire. — Since my note in the August 

 Number of the Ent. Mo. Mag., I find I have taken in this neighbourhood several 

 Coleoptera of some rarity, of which I think the following are worth recording : 

 Homalota srapalaris, Sahib., Hydnobi.us punctatissimus, Steph , Colon dentipes, 

 Sahib., PhyUotreta consobrina. Curt., Ap>teropeda globosa. 111., and Apion cruen- 

 ^rt^«w, Walt., have been taken by general sweeping, mostly towards evening. Longi- 

 tarsus Jlavicornis, Steph., occurred in numbers on a small patch of Convolvulus 

 arvensis in August. Deinopsis erona, Steph., and Calodera nigrita, Mann., were 

 taken at the edges of ponds at Aldermaston in September, and Stenus fornicatus, 

 Steph., at Wellington College. Fungus has produced little of interest, except a 

 good series of Nossidium pilosellum, Marsh. The great find of the season was a large 

 oak branch which had been blown down and broken, thus exposing an old wood- 

 pecker's hole which had been lately tenanted by bats. In the debris of the nest 

 Mr. Tomlin and I found Philonthus fuscun, Grav. (2), IHster merdarius, Iloff., 

 Dendrophilus punctatus, Herbst, and Trox scaber, L. I sifted the same ddbris over 

 on several occasions afterwards and was rewarded by taking one Choleva colonoides, 

 Kr., and six Neuraphes carinatus, Muls.' Sifting a quantity of rotten vrood from 

 a hollow beech tree close by was also profitable, as I shook out a good scries of the 

 following : Quedius microps, Grav., Hapalartva pyym:va, Gyll., Symbiotes latus, 

 Redt., Ftinella angustula, Gill., and what I take to be Trichopteryx picicornis, 

 Mann. Orthoperus mundus, Matth., which I have taken on three or four occasions 

 in the district, but only once as many as five at a time, has at last turned up in 



Med culpd.'-3. J. W. 



