258 [November, 



winter. On exaniininji^ these specimens I have little doubt that Ganglbatier is 

 correct, and that the autumnalis of my collection is really basicornis, Mulsant. 

 The only discrepancy arises from the fact that my insect has some fine graniiles 

 on the 7th dorsal plate of the male abdomen, whereas Mulsant makes no 

 mention of granules there, and Ganglbauer says there are none. This sculpture 

 is, however, so minute, that it may easily be overlooked, and I have little doubt 

 that this will prove to be the case. The fig'ure of the male characters given 

 by Midsant (Aleochai'iens, iii, pi. iv, p. 13) does not quite agree with our insect, 

 the lateral spines being exaggerated. His fig\u*es, however, frequently exhibit 

 similar defects. There is no reason why the true antum7ialis should not occur 

 in Britain, as it is distributed from Finland to Caucasus, and perhaps it actually 

 exists in some of ovir collections. — Id. -. October 1st, 1911. 



Note on the forms of Galeruca tanaceti, L., occurrwg in Britain. — On 

 September 16th I came across numerous examples of G. tanaceti on the Merrow 

 Downs, near Guildford. They were plentiful in various places on the gravelly 

 and chalky slopes, running about amongst the short grass, the elongate gravid 

 females (looking just like a small Meloc) preponderating, the males being 

 comparatively scarce. The insect, however, Avas not very easy to secure, as it 

 rapidly buried itself amongst the roots of the grass, &c., when approached. A 

 few pairs were seen mi copula, biit the females could not be traced to any 

 particular food-plant, which is said to be Achillea millefolium. The long series 

 captured showed but little variation. There are, however, two well-marked 

 forms of the species, both in Britain and on the Continent, — one very shining, 

 with the anterior angles of the prothorax obtuse, and the elytra narrowly 

 sulcate along the outer margin, not or obsoletely costate on the disc, and the 

 apices sepax-ately rounded ; the other, duller, larger, and more elongate, with 

 the head more densely punctate, the anterior angles of the prothorax dentiform 

 and upturned, and the elytra more broadly sulcate along the outer margin, 

 more or less costate on the disc, and the apices conjointly svibtrvincate. The 

 Guildford specimens belong to the smaller and more shining form, which is 

 probably the true tanaceti, L., and I have others similar from Caterham, 

 Shiere, Woking, Great Yarmouth, &c. The larger form, my specimens of 

 which are from Darenth, Eastbourne, Southend, Eeigate, Horning, Oxford, &c., 

 is very like the southern G. artemisix, Kosenh. (which I have taken at Granada, 

 Spain), but wants the conspicuous pvibescence of that insect. The genitalia of 

 the males of the two fonns are precisely similar. Bedel (Faune Col. Bassin 

 Seine, v. p. 281), who gives Achillea millefolium as the sole food-plant of 

 G. tanaceti, suggests that the insect bred by Mr. Kew, at Louth, Lincolnshire, 

 from larvui foiind on Scabiosa succisa* and Centaurea nigra [cf. Ent. Mo. Mag. 

 xxiii, p. luT (188G)], is possibly G. pomonse, Scop. ( = mstica, Schall.), which 

 has a black variety {anthracina, Weise). G. pomonse is a common Continental 

 insect, and may occur here t ; it resembles G. celandica, Boh., in colour, at 



* Mr. Blatcli is also .said by Fowler to bavc taken tlie larvie on this I'lant, the devil's- 

 bit-scabious. 



t Since these remarks have been in typo, I have found five examples of G. pomotHe amongst 

 the series of G. celandica in the collection of British Coleoptera at the Oxford University Museum : 

 one of these is labelled as liaving boon captured at " Whcatley " |ncai Oxford], and auothei- " coll. 

 Hope," but the British habitat require.s confirmation. 



