38 [February, 



A note on the Coleopterous genus Colon. — During the hist two years I have been 

 particularly fortunate in capturing several members of this rare genus, chiefly by 

 employing two special methods, viz., bj sweeping grass in the rides and on borders 

 of woods in the late afternoon and evening, and by systematically examining the 

 windows of my motor slied during warm evenings in the early summer. There 

 were very few such evenings last year, but in 1906 I took on several occasions four 

 or five specimens in one day by the latter method. The beetles fly in at the large 

 doors, which I purposely leave open, being, as I suppose, attracted by the compara- 

 tive darkness, and having found nothing to their liking in the shed, attempt to fly 

 out of the windows. They begin to arrive as early as 4 o'clock in June, and I 

 conclude that this is the time to commence evening sweeping in shady places. Last 

 year I was more successful in this respect, and particularly so on June 5th, a by no 

 means ideal clay, with a cold wind and even some rain. However, in about two 

 hours, by sweeping over and over again about 100 yards of grass by the side of a 

 wood, I captured 19 specimens of Colon, the majority of them being C. viennense, 

 Herbst, but C. serripes, Sahib., C. zebei, Kr., and C. brunneum, Latr., also occurred. 



At one time I had considerable difficulty in identifying my specimens of the 

 genus, but having obtained both sexes of several of the species, and having had the. 

 advantage of studying Herr Ganglbauer's " Die Kafer der Mitteleuropa," I have 

 found things much more easy. Ganglbauer gives much the same table as Canon 

 Fowler, but adds several most useful characters which I think are worth noting. 



C. viennense and C. serripes.— Gnnglbauer points out that in C. serripes the 

 eighth joint of the antenna is narrower than in C. viennense, and is distinctly 

 narrower than the ninth, and that the thorax is more strongly punctured than the 

 elytra, whereas this is not the case in C. viennense. 



C. brunneum, Latr. — This species, as Fowler notes, is by far the commonest 

 member of the genus, and on account of its great variation in size gives rise to 

 many mistakes. Generally it may be recognised superficially by its comparatively 

 strong and diffuse punctuation and shining appearance. Smaller specimens have a 

 narrower thorax, which is very diffusely punctured ; in larger examples the thorax 

 is broader than the elytra and the punctuation is much closer. Ganglbauer gives a 

 specific distinction for this species, which I must acknowledge, however, is not very 

 easy to see, viz., the anterior femora are dilated and widened at the base into a 

 bluntly rounded angle. 



C. zebei, Kr. — Ganglbauer regards this species as specifically distinct from C. 

 dentipes, Sahib., and I think any one who has compared genuine examples of the 

 two could hardly come to any other conclusion. It is of about the same size as C. 

 dentipes, and has the same long curved tooth on the posterior femora in the <J , but 

 in shape is markedly broader and more rounded at the sides ; the pubescence is 

 longer, coarser and less thick, and of a deeper yellowish colour ; and the punctuation 

 is much stronger and more diffuse. The var. barnevillei of C. zebei is certainly a 

 puzzling form, and occurs not uncommonly here. It is distinctly smaller than the 

 type form, and has a differently shaped femoral tooth in the <J ; but in my specimens 

 I have found these distinctions quite constant, and I prefer to regard C. barnevillei 

 as a good species until I have seen the intermediate forms. 



The 9 of C. barnevillei is of the same size as, and very much resembles a large- 



