154 THE knto.mologist's rkcord. 



Petro, Germ, nee Herbst. Petrosus, W.C. — This insect has some 

 affinity to frit, but may be distinguished from it in addition to the 

 characters given in the table, by its short tibial spur. It has been a 

 source of much confusion to British entomologists, nearly all the 

 localities given in Fowler for {wtro refer to this insect. The specimens 

 in Dr. Power's collection as lininfuni must all be referred to frit, those 

 under the name of petrn^iiH being liinosiiH. There is a variety in which 

 the elytral stride are much less strongly punctured than usual (var. 

 chnriuactis, Boh.) ; lininsiis also is frequently coated with an earthy 

 deposit which obscures the stria?. To determine these forms recourse 

 must be had to the shape of the thorax. It is a very variable insect as 

 regards size. It occurs in plenty at Sheerness (Walker, Champion), 

 also at Southsea (Moncreaft); Scarboro' (Lawson); Camber (Bennett); 

 Rainham (Lewcock) ; Ipswich (Morley); New Forest (Heasler); Tring 

 (EUiman). 



B. BREvis, Gyll., Schon., iii.,550. — Cox,ii., 101. — Fowler, v., 291. — 

 This species has affinities with liuiosiis, frit iinddoiKlicans. The almost 

 impunctate strife will separate it from the first, and the broad shallow 

 central furrow, and strongly marked apical constriction of thorax from 

 the two latter. The depressions or fovefe in this constriction are 

 best seen when the head of the insect is towards the observer ; they 

 are shallow but fairly well marked. Fowler places the insect in the 

 same subdivision as lutulosiia and dif/li/jdu^ ; the tibite, however, are 

 reirly cylindrical, and the tarsal joints are longer than in the insects 

 in this subdivision, being very similar to those of daiulicans. B. brcris 

 was taken in some numbers at Woking and Horsell by Dr. Power, 

 from 1872 to 1877. I know of no recent captures. Gyllenhal's 

 description agrees well with our insect, which Mr. Bedel informs me 

 is very rare in France. 



B. TEMPESTivus, Herbst, vi., 216. — Bris, 507. — Bedel, vi., 106 and 

 277.— Cox, ii., 192.— Fowler, v., 290.— The most elongate of all the 

 British species except n/lindnts. The antenna? are inserted in the 

 middle of the rostrum, which is longer and more slender than that of 

 its nearest allies. The thorax usually has a fine central furrow, and 

 the elytra are generally spotted with grey, the most conspicuous spot 

 forming a transverse band behind middle. The tarsi are long and 

 usually the third joint is not, or very little, broader than the second. Mr. 

 Heasler has, however, taken a variety having the third tarsal joint 

 much broader than second, which I am compelled to place in the same 

 section with ;ilahrirustriii, though it does not appear to difl'er otherwise 

 from the type form. M. Bedel tells me that his own examples and 

 those in the collection of C. Brisout have the third tarsal joint a little 

 broader than the second, and that he has not seen specimens with this 

 joint as narrow as in the specimens I submitted to him. These were 

 typical specimens of our ordinary form, to which Brisout's " tards 

 (/racililms, jieititltimo articnlo an<iii>itato " applies well. It is, I think, 

 impossible to regard these tarsal dilYerences as sexual. Rather 

 a common species. Southsea (Moncreaft) ; Gravesend (F. Smith) ; 

 Camber, Rye, Bopeep (Bennett) ; Totnes (Edmonds) ; Nayland, 

 Suflblk (Elliott). The variety (three specimens). New Forest (Heasler). 



B. FRIT, Herbst, vi., 156.— Bedel, vi., 106 and 277. — Fowler, v., 

 290 (in part). Subcarinatus, Gyll., Schon., 543. — Bris, 602. — Cox, ii., 

 191, and of old British collectioiifc.- — This species has affinities with 



