990 [October, 



As to the two insects having been taken constantly in the same 



localities, this is of little consequence in this genus, several members 



being so often taken at the same time. I have taken A. anr/liea in one 



locality where I should be extreuiely surprised to find its relative, as 



it was country quite unsuited for the growth of truffles, nor was there 



a single specimen among the hundreds of A. cinnamomea from the 



Wiltshire truffles. 



Gnathoncfs nidicola, Joy. 



This species was described in the Ent. Record, vol. xix, p. 133, 

 the following table being given to distinguish it from G. rotun- 

 datus, Kug. : — 

 Anterior tibife narrower, with large teeth and convex intervals ; apex of elytra 



shining, diffusely punctured ; habitat, carrion G. rotundatusi. 



Anterior tibiae broader, with small teeth and almost flat intervals ; apex of elytra 



dull, closely punctured* ; habitat, birds' nests G. nidicola. 



As 1 made a great point of the difference in habitat, I must own 

 to being somewhat upset when 1 took the two species in company in 

 an old starling's nest a short time ago ; but even here there was no 

 question of any of them being intermediate in form. An examina- 

 tion of the (J genitalia definitely settles the question as to whether 

 the two insects are distinct, as a glance at the accompanying diagrams 



r 



o 



G. nidicola. G. rotv.ndatvs. 



will show. In G. nidicola the penis is almost straight, the tip being 

 rather sharply bent ; in G. rofmidattts it is strongly and evenly curved 

 throughout. Viewed from above it is also somewhat different in 

 shape in the two species, as is also the ojdeagus. I have examined 

 many specimens of both species and do not find the penis to vary at 

 all in form. 



Mr. Tomlin has taken G. nidicola among straw, &c., in a shed, 

 and I have taken G. rotundatus in a sandpit, whore I supposed it to 

 be feeding on the dead young sand-martins which had tumbled out of 

 their nests, rather than having come from the birds' nests. There is 

 no doubt that G. rotundatus is more rarely to be found in birds' nests 

 than G. nidicola. 



Bradfield : August 24th, 1909. 



This would be better described as longitudinally wrinkled. 



