180 THE entomologist's KECOKD. 



certainly rendered a, matter of oxtrome difficulty and much study, to 

 pronounce with any degree of certainty upon most of its members. 

 Their outline is very similar — some are certainly a little shorter, 

 and some a little longer than others, but it takes the trained eye to 

 see even this without comparing the different species. In one, again, 

 the 3rd and 4th joints of the anteiinse are conspicuously broad in the 

 (J , but this peculiarity is wanting in the 2 , and therefore, to a certain 

 degree, fails as a specific distinction. But the remaining species of the 

 genus are easily identified, primarily by the formation and colour of the 

 rostrum, antennse, elytra and legs. 



The whole genus is phytophagous, and consequently, for its suc- 

 cessful working, one should be something of a botanist ; this is only 

 necessary, however, to a very moderate extent, since so many species 

 feed upon the same or allied plants, that one might almost (though not 

 quite) divide them up into groups according to the food of the various 

 sections. Thus no less than 37 species feed upon Lei/iDiiinosac, 10 

 upon Poli/i/unaceae, 8 each upon ('ompositae and Labiatae, 2 upon 

 Mercurialis, and 1 each upon Scdiun, Statice, IJrtica, Betula and Saliv. 

 The food-plants of one or two species, such as A. aj/inis, which, how- 

 ever, is found beneath broom, A. nirtui, generally taken in sandy 

 places on the coast, A. jmbescL'ns, he&ten from willows, and A. jiliiosfrc, 

 are not yet known with any certainty. These are all very restricted 

 species, and a thorough examination of their particular locale would 

 probably show some plant peculiar to it, which might prove to be 

 their pabulum. 



The predilection of these beetles iov Lcnuiiihtusae is often deplorable, 

 since, given favourable meteorological conditions, they will work great 

 havoc among the farmers' most precious crops of Tri/oliuin and Vuia, 

 nor is it possible to save the clover, &c., by any process of syringing. 

 The only thing to be done is to burn the whole crop, along with the 

 Apions, when in full flower, and so ensure, as far as is possible, against 

 a repetition of their depredations the succeeding season. This is by 

 no means an easy matter to accomplish with any certainty, since the 

 insects fly with considerable velocity, and are thus enabled to seek 

 " pastures new " (literally) at pleasure. Most curious and unaccount- 

 able is the error into which Rye fell when he said that these beetles 

 were apterous. Anyone wishing a proof of their abundance should 

 swing a net backwards and forwards through the air, anywhere — 

 highway, hedge, or hillside — in the country, on a hot summer's day, 

 for five minutes, and, upon examination, he is sure to have taken several 

 ApumJiavijH's, and perhaps other species besides. 



The Apion larva) are small white or yellowish-white grubs, with 

 hard heads, like those of Cossm. The majority live in the flower-heads 

 of their food-plants (hence, burn the clover when in flower, as the 

 insects cannot then escape) . Many make galleries in the stems, or live 

 in the pods, or in a gall''' on twigs or leaves, generally on the under- 

 side of the petiole of the latter, and a few mine, like llrpialm, within 

 their roots. To one species — Apiitii yiiininiuin — Canon Fowler draws 

 especial attention. It is, it would seem, the only species in Britain 

 whose larva lives upon trees (I think it doubtful whether that of A. 



* These galls, as in the case of ./. gcutellare on Ulc.v )i(nni!<, resemble a string of 

 threaded beads, and are said to in no way interfere with the growth of the Inish. 

 ^C.M. 



