6 NOTES UPON THE GENERA SITONA, &C. 



cabinet of Mr. Curtis, and one or more in that of Mr. Stephens. 

 Of P.fuhicornis I have only seen one specimen, which is in 

 Mr. Stephens's cabinet, and which appeared to me a variety of 

 P. cervmus. All the other species are very distinct. 



Genus. — Nemoicus. 



N. ohlongus varies in the colour of its thorax, being some- 

 times black and sometimes testaceous. I have captured it, 

 in copula, of both colours on the thorax. 



Genus. — Phyllobius. 



Whoever has paid attention to the colour of the scales in this 

 genus, as well as to the variation of the colour of the legs, and 

 to that of the antennas, will not attach much importance to these 

 fugitive chai'acters in determining a species. I have captured 

 the P. Alneti with legs of every shade of colour, from black to 

 rufous ; and have taken the P. ccssius, in copula with P. Alneti, 

 the latter having black legs and the former testaceous ; I have 

 in vain attempted to find a character to separate them ; the 

 slender smaller forms, with pale legs, I consider to be males ; 

 some of the varieties, with black legs, have the scales upon the 

 elytra of a rich silky lustre ; and in certain damp situations, in 

 a wood, much screened from light, I have taken this species 

 with their elongate green scales changed to an ash-grey, giving 

 to the insect the appearance of being pubescent. Specimens 

 with this character I first suspected to be a distinct species ; 

 but having subsequently taken a pair', in copula, one of them 

 with green elongate scales, and the other grey, I found a solu- 

 tion to this anomaly. Mr. Curtis has the two examples in 

 his cabinet, which I gave to him. 



P. Pijri is thought to be distinct, from its hair-like golden 

 scales, but they are variable in their tint, to a greenish, or 

 satiny green, thereby approximating to some of the varieties of 

 the preceding, showing there is no uniformity in this character, 

 but that one colour gradually merges into another. I am very 

 much inclined to think that the colours of the scales in this 

 species are modified, and changed by fortuitous circumstances, 

 depending upon light, heat, and moisture ; I have found them 

 abundantly amongst nettles, umbelliferous plants, and herbage 



