1921.] 3S 



Re}-, however, considers htteicornis to be distinct, and writes : " Elle est en 

 ert'et toujours nioinrlre ; les antennes et les pattes sont plus gioles, avec les dents 

 des tibias intenuediares J plus rappvochees et situet's sur un talon plus etroit, et 

 plus prolonge." 



Champion (1901) writes: " B. lutcicornis 111. (1794) is the male of 

 B. rtippos Ilerbst (1783) ( =7Hibih(s ]5oh.), and Illi<j:er's name must be sunk as a 

 svnonyni. The colour of the antennae and of the anterior and intermediate 

 legs in this insect is very variable, but the females always have at least the six 

 outer antennal joints black, and the males usually have the antennae entirely 

 rnfo-testaceous. In both sexes the four anterior legs and the antennae are 

 occasionallv almost entirely black ; the tendency, however, is always for the 

 male to have these parts more lightly coloured than the female. The males 

 nijiy easily be identified by the slightlj' curved intermediate tibiae, which are 

 sinuous on the inner edge and sharply bidentate at the inner apical angle. In 

 the series of specimens captured by myself at different times at Claygate and 

 Ashstead, Surrey, there are all the gradations in the colour of the legs and 

 antennae. Dr. Power's examples of B. rufipes from ' Surbiton ' were also no 

 doubt from Claygate. The only other British localities from which I possess 

 specimens are Guildford and Hastings." 



Fowler gives as localities for B. lutcicornis : —Claygate ; Ashstead ; 

 Southend; Maldon ; G nestling, near Hastings; Portsdown Hill, near Ports- 

 mouth; and Isle of Portland; and for B. rufipes. — Surbiton and Gravesend. 

 In the supplement we add Enfield, Potter's Bar, Cheshunt, Hanwell, Guildford, 

 Budleigh Salterton, and Teignmouth. I took a single specimen under lichen on 

 an old post at Budleigh Salterton on February 11th, 1896, and in plenty by 

 beating blackthorn blossom and sweeping beneath it in April and May, 1901, at 

 Hanwell. 



In the latter locality the specimens varied considerably in the colour of 

 the antennae and legs, but nothing would be gained by giving names to every 

 slight variation. In several specimens, however, the whole of the antennae 

 and all six legs are entirely black. This form I propose to call Bruchus riifipes 

 Hbst. ab. melanarthrtis n. ab. 



I have been unable to find any mention of tbe actual food-plant of this 

 beetle. Fowler writes " On Leffuminosae'^ ; but this does not help us much. 

 I have a theory that it may feed up in the kernels of the sloe ; but of course I 

 may be entirely wrong. This year I visited Hanwell when sloes should have 

 been plentiful, but did not find a single fruit on all the blackthorn hedges and 

 bushes that occur there. I hope to investigate the matter next year. 



Literature, 



Baudi, F. Deutsch. Ent. Zts. xxx, 399 (1886). 



Beare, T. H., and Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K. Cat. Brit. Col. 31 (1904). 

 Boheman, C. II. Schciuh. Gen. Cure, i, 60 (1833). 

 Champion, G. C. Ent, Mo. Mag. xxxvii, 144 (1901). 

 European Catalogue. Cat. Col. Europ. 587 (1906). 

 Fowler, W. W. Col. Brit. Isles, iv, 263 (1890). 



Fov.-ler, W. W., and Donisthorpe, H. St. J . K. Col. Brit. Isles, vi (Suppl.) 

 (1913). 



