18S19.] 28S 



distinct tribe. It occupies the same place in Saunders' Ilemiptera 

 Heteroptera of the British Islands. The genus shows, however, in its 

 organization such important differences from the Gerridce, that it 

 seems impossible to maintain this systematic position. Signoret, in 

 his description of the genus, says that it much resembles Ceratocomhus 

 *'comme aspect." But it has not only the fades of Ceratocomhus, its 

 general structure also brings it much nearer to the CeratocomhidoB than 

 to the Oerridce. There is, above all, one character that is decisive — 

 Aepophilus ,\\ke the Saldidce and Ceratocomhida;, \^ pagiopod, whilst the 

 Gerridce are trocJialopod. (cf. Schiodte, " On some new fundamental 

 principles in the morphology and classification of Rki/ncJiofa,'' Ann. 

 and Mag. of Nat. Hist., Ser 4, vol. vi, pp. 225—249). In Lethierry 

 and Severin's "Catalogue" (1896), AepopJiilus, upon my suggestion, 

 was placed as a distinct Family between the Saldidce and Ceratocombidce, 

 and I still regard this position as the correct one. 



Aepophilus Bonnairei, Sign., also occurs in Spain : Prof. Eeuter 

 possesses a specimen from the province of Galicia, sent by Prof. Bolivar 

 as " Cimex sp." 



Tammerfors, Finland : 



November 3rd, 1899. 



NOTE ON THE DINAR DA DENT ATA, Grav., OF BEITISH COLLECTIONS. 

 BY G. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S. 



The insect recorded by the late E. C. Rye under the name of 

 Binarda dentata, Grav. (Ent. Annual, 1863, p. 112), found in plenty 

 by Messrs. Douglas and Scott in the Archbishop's Wood, near Croydon, 

 in the nests of Formica sanguinea, has been treated by some entomo- 

 logists as a variety of D. Mdrkeli, Kies., and by others as D. dentata, 

 Grav. This being the case, I have recently submitted one of these 

 specimens to Herr E. Wasmann for examination, he having made a 

 special study of the species of this genus. His reply will interest 

 British Coleopterists : — " Tour Dinarda is not D. pygmaa, Wasm., 

 nor even D. dentata, var. minor, Wasm., but must be referred to D. 

 dentata, being an individual of moderate size, and with a form of 

 thorax somewhat approaching that of D. Mdrkeli. I have already 

 shown in my study, ' Dinarda — Arten oder Eassen ' (Wien. ent. Zeit., 

 1896, pp. 125 — 142), that this form cannot even be regarded as a 

 distinct variety on account of numerous transitions to the type-form 

 of thorax of D. dentata. D. pygmcea and D. dentata, var. minor, are 

 much narrower than your specimen, also the form of the thorax and 

 its sculpture differ from both." 



